J?H8t( 



Book 



I 



77 



3 



10. 



Chuflche s 

11. Saint- Sanveiw 

12. Xctre -Da?nc 

io. Saint- Ja cqu es 

14 . Saint- Gilles 

15. Saiide-Wallniritc 

16. Sainte-Amw 

17 Sairdz -21arie-?IadtU iju . 
18. Saiid-JBasiU (orUrty Blood 
id . Jertisalem 

20 Bcquinaqe 

21 tavuch'ms T.BowerieA $*? Claire 

22 B arefeo t Carmelites - . . 

23. Episcopal Seminary 

24 . Seem s JS'oircs de Bctiul 

2b English. Convent _.. 



red 6 ' 



tX'- 



/ 



11 



mm 



§ as 



3 



4? 



fen 



26 



21J 



33 
34 



^30. Pictures from the Academy 
■ J 40 . English (Protestant) Church 

41. -English (Roman) Church 

42. Gruuthuuse 

43. Hospital for incurables 

44 Society S. Sebastian 



So 



ca 




Reie or filled up or 
vaultel ramparts. 
Old Burg. 

f enclosure of the town. 

t* 

3* 



t) it >< V t' 

„ tt ft » n 



JO 



iVrinting office of Chas.vc 




.X ..^ ,x ?t 

t>obavs n 



a oiufce * 
for (JngUsb travellers, 

wttb 3 maps, 5 pbototppes ani> \* 
several \voo5cuts, 

2" 6 ecoition 1^ 



fince : I fr. 50. ^ 



Bruges (Belgium). }f 

^CncilOffBelciian printinc* office ot 1 
Obas. van Oe Vgvere^etgt— ^ue^esfiteues, 98. 

— 1904 — W 




In Bxehaag% 

Army And Navy Ota% 
Of 'Washington X>_JCk 



4§< 



.0 



)fter having had occasion during thirty years 
to know all about Bruges, we published in 
1 883 our .<( Bruges en trois jours, » (Bruges 
in three daysj and in i88y an abridgment of the same, 
« Bruges in one day » of which eleven editions have 
been sold. 

The present guide may be considered as a twelfth 
edition, specially arranged for the benefit of English 
tourists, and enriched with many historical notes and 
informations of special interest for them. 

We also beg to say that the present second english 
edition has been entirely revised, especially in all parts 
concerning the description of paintings. ■ 

Ad. D. 





8 General informations. 




STEAMTRAM TO HEYSTANDTHE DUTCH FRONTIER. 
Stations : place de la Station, place du Theatre, Ter Balie,. 
Rempart, Bassin, plaine des Ecluses. (See Railway Guide.) 
STEAMTRAM TO THE CEMETERY, STEEN BRUGGE, 
OOSTCAMP, WAERDAM M E, RUDDERVOORDE etc. Stations: 
place du Theatre, rue Neuve de Gand, place de l'Ancre, parte 
S te Catherine. (See Railway- Guide.) 

HORSETRAM, FROM THE DOCKS TO THE RAILWAY 
STATION, and vice- versa, every twenty minutes. 

STEAMBOAT TO DAMME AND SLUYS. — Sails from Fort 
Lapin, late Porte de Damme. (See Railway Guide.) 

HACKNEY COACHES at the Stadon and the Grande Place: 
a single trip within town 1 fr. — per hour 1 fr. 5o the first hour, 
o,y5 each succeeding half hour. — Open fly : a trip 1 fr. 5o ; first 
hour 2 fr., each succeeding half hour i fr. 

PORTER'S FARES OUTSIDE THE RAILWAY STATION. 

1) Carrying a load within town ■ up to 25 kiiogr. fr. o,5o; — up 
to 5o kiiogr. fr. 0,75; — up to y5 kiiogr. 1 fr.; — up to 100 kiiogr. 
fr. i.5o. Beyond the 100 kiiogr., fare as per agreement ; in case of 
contention, the head of the next police office shall decide. 

The carrying of luggage from the railway to any vehicle outside 
and near tne station, or vice-versa is charged as follows : * up to 
25 kiiogr. fr. 0,10 ; — * for every additional 25 kiiogr. or part of 
it, fr. o,o5. 

2) Not carrying any load : for every errand within town, porters 
are to be paid as follows : 

For a time not exceeding a quarter of an hour, fr. o,25; — up to 
half an hour, fr. o,5o ; — every succeeding half hour or fraction -of 
it, fr. o,3o. No gratification can be claimed beyond those fares. — 
Excepting those marked *, the above fares are increased by fr. o,25 
during night, i.e. from 11 P. M. to 5 A. M. 

TELEGRAPH. Central office, at the Station, open from 4,45 
A. M. to 10 P. M. — Branch office, at the Post, Grande Place — 
from 7 A. M. to 7 P. M. 

Within, Belgium the charges are • up to i5 words, fr. o,5o ; for 
every 5 additional words up to 5o, fr. 0,10. 

To Great Britain and the Channel Islands, fr. o,5o, plus o, 17 per 
word. 

To Gibraltar, fr. o,5o, plus 0,27 per word. 



— 6 — 

To France, Corsica. Monaco, Andorre rep. fr. o,5o, plus 0,09 
per word. 

LETTER POST. Central office, Grande Place ; branch office, 
railway station; third office, rue Wulpen, (Bruges-Bassini. — Open 
from 7 A. M. till 7 P. M. 

WITHIN* BELGIUM : ordinary letters fr. 0,10 per i5 grams. 
Not prepaid, the charge is fr. 0,20. 

Postal cards fr. o,o5. — with card for answer fr. o, 10. 

Visitcards which may carry any writing, under open envelope, 
fr. o,o5. 

Printed matter, photos, books, with wrapper open for inspection, 
fr. 0,02 for every 5o grams or fraction thereof. 

TO GREAT BRITAIN, INDIA and all countries within the 
Postal Union » 

Ordinary letters fr, o,25 per 1 5 grams; not prepaid, double the rate. 

Postal cards: simple, fr. 0,10. — with card for answer, fr. 0,20. 

Printed matter, photos, books, as above, fr.o,o5 for every 5o grams 
or fraction thereof. 

N. B. For samples, recommended letters, letters to be forwarded 
per express, or containing banknotes etc. — a pply f° r information 
at the post offices. 

At the central post office and at the other offices, correspon- 
dences are taken up 22 times during the day, from 3, 20 A. M. to 
io,55 P. M. — On Sundays, 10 times from 3, 20 A. M. to 9,20 P. M. 

PARCEL POST. Parcels are sent from the warehouse, place de 
la Station ; they must be carefully packed and sealed ; the rates are: 
to England, under 1 kilo, fr. i,5o ; unuer 3 kilos, fr. 2 ; not over 
5 kilos, fr. 2,65. 

RAILWAY. Non-passengers for being admitted within the rail- 
way precincts, must take an entrance ticket of fr. 0,10, which is 
availlable for one hour. 

MARKETING AND SHOPPING. 

Boys to carry provision-baskets are always at hand-and are paid 
fr. o.ioor fr. 0,20 according to time or distance. 

Butter and eggs : a market is held on Saturdays (Marche aux 
(Eufsi from 8 tsll 10 A. M. 

Fish. (Marche au poisson) on Sundays from 7 till 9 A. M. ; on 
fridays from 7 1/2 till 12. On other days, fish may sometimes be 
found for sale between 10 & 12. A. M. 

Vegetables. (Rue Espagnole) on Wednesday mornings ; — (rue 
Van Oost) on Saturday mornings • — (place du Theatre and place 
Simon Stevin) daily. 

Fruit. (Quai Espagnol) Wednesday mornings; — (rue des Tonne- 
liers) Saturday mornings ; — (place Simon Stevin) daily. 

Meat, fowl, pigeon, game. (Place St Jean) Saturday mornings. 

Potatoes. (Place Jean van Eyck) Wednesday and Saturday morn- 
ings. 



Dogs, birds, rabbits. (Marche aux Herbes, in front of the Jail), 
Sundays at 8 A. M. 

Bread, crockery, tools and all sorts of things, (Grande Place) 
Saturday mornings. 

Fabrics of all kinds. (Place Memlinc) Wednesday mornings. 

Old brass, iron, books, china etc. ( Place des Orientaux and rue 
Cour de Gand) Wednesday mornings ; — (rue du Vieux Bourg, 
rue Neuve and Dijver) Saturday mornings. 

Pigs and sheep. (Marche du Vendredi; thursday and Saturday 
mornings. 

Cattle. (Marche du vendredi) tuesday mornings. 

Horses. The largest horse-fair is held on the 25th of July; others 
the 2nd week of April and September and the 3d week of November. 

Flower market (place du Bourg) daily in the season and espe- 
cially on friday mornings. 

EPISCOPAL PALACE, (rueduSt Esprit, between the Cathedral 
and Notre-Dame) office hours from 9 till 12 A. M. and from 2 till 
5 P. M. 

THE ENGLISH VICE-CONSUL for Bruges and neighbourhood 
resides at Ostend. 
BANKS : 

ENGLISH BANK rue de Cordoue, No i3. 
National Bank, rue St Jean, N° 1. 

Banque de la Flandre Occidentale, rue Flamande, No 56. 

Alphonse De Meester, rue Espagnole, N° 4. 

Credit general Liegeois, rue Courte d'Argent, No 4. 

STOCK BROKERS : 

Berten, Grand' place, N° 1. 

Timmery, rue de Cordoue, No 12. 

Weghsteen, rue vieux Bourg, N° 6. 

Van den Broucke, rue des Pierres, N° 68. 

Van Overbeke, rue de la Monnaie, No 36. 

HOTELS : Hotel de Flandre, (rue Nord du Sablon). Rooms 
from 3 fr.; — breakfast fr. i,5o; — table d'hote at 1 and 6 1/2 P. M. 
4 fr.; — attendance fr. 0,75. — Good wines; — celebrated fish dinners 
on friday s. 

Grand Hotel du Commerce, (rue St-Jacques). Old and first rate 
establishment. 

Grand Hotel du Sablon, (rue Nord du Sablon.) 
Hotel du Panier d'Or, (Grande Place). 

Hotel Monbijou, Hotel de Londres, Hotel du Singe d'Or, (place 
de la Station). 

Hotel Charles le-bon, formerly Halle de Paris, the fifth street on 
the left, coming from the Station ; meeting place of the Burgers- 
gilde and the Davidsfonds, two catholic societies furthering, the 
former, catholic politics, the other, flemish litterature. 

Le Cornet d'Or, (place Simon Stevin.) 

The last six hotels have a well frequented cafe-restaurant. 



— 8 — 



RESTAURANTS. Poppe-Baesels, rue Philipstock ; — Sinaeve, 
rue de la Monnaie; — Stragier, place St-Jean ; — Verte-Soete, rue 
St. -Jacques; — Willems, corner of rue de la Monnaie and rue 
St-Jacques. 

CATHOLIC CLUB, true des Pierres), cafe-restaurant, first rate 
cuisine. 

CIVIL AND MILITARY CLUB, Grande Place, west side. 

BELFRY. The chimes are playing on Wednesdays and Satur- 
days from 11 1/4 A. M. till 12 ; on Sundays from 11 1/2 A. M. till 
12 1/4 and during summer on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 
7 to 8 o' clock P. M. Chimer : M. Edward Dupan. 

ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH SERVICES. — In the paro- 
chial churches : on Sundays, mass every hour from 6 A. M. ; high 
mass at 10, last mass at 1 1 1/2. Vespers at 3 1/2 P. M.. benediction 
at 4. — On weekdays, at various hours. — In the CHAPEL OF THE 
HOLY BLOOD, mass at 7 and 8011 Sundays; and at 1 1 on fridays. 

Church of the sacred Heart (Jesuit Church) 2 on Sundays, every 
half hour from 5 till 71/2; mass and french sermon at 11; — on 
weekdays, from 5 1/2 till 7 and at 10. Benediction daily at 6 P. M. 

English sermons are occasionally preached in the convent (Cour 
des Princes) (Dames de la Ketraite.) 

English confessors : Mgr Bethune (at the cathedral) and several 
at the Jesuit, Carmelite and Capuchin churches. 

ANGLICAN CHURCH SERVICES, rue d'Ostende. Divine 
Service every sunday at 11 A. M. and 6 P. M. and on all Holy 
days at 1 1 A M. 

Holy Communion after Morning Service on the first and third 
Sundays in every month, and at 8.3o. A. M. on all other Sundays 
and Holy days. 

THE CEMETERY on the left of the ccChaussee de Steenbrugge» 
at half a mile from the Porte Ste-Catherine, open daily from 8 A. M. 
till 4 1/2 P. M., in the summer till 7 P. M.; has a separate corner 
for non-catholics. 



iQetiic measures, weights, moneip. 



1) t 1 ^he unit of length is the cc metre » (a ten millionth part of 
one fourth of the meridian), equal to 1 yard 94/1000 ; is 
A divided into 10 decimetres und 100 centimetres. 
Its multiples are the decametre, hectometre, kilometre, myria- 
metre, which are respectively 10, 100, 1000, 10,000 metres. 

In a few shops goods are still measured by the flemish « el » or 
french « aune » (about 70 centim.) 

2) The unit of capacity is the « litre » or cubic decimetre, equal 
to 1 pint, 76/100, which is divided into so decilitres, 100 centilitres 





— 9 — 



etc. Its multiples are the decalitre, the hectolitre etc.. i. e. 10 litres, 
100 litres, etc. 

3) The unit of weight is the « gramme, » i. e. the weight of one 
cubic centimetre of pure water, under normal pressure and at 
4 degrees temperature. It is divided into decigrammes, centigram- 
mes etc. 

Its multiples are the decagramme, the hectogramme, the kilo- 
gramme. The kilogramme (1000 grammes) is the unit of weight for 
common wares, equal to i 2/ lG pounds avoirdupois ; practically 
it is divided into half kilogrammes and quarters of kilogrammes. 
The old pound, though commonly confounded with the half kilo- 
gramme, is only 400 grammes. 

4) Geographical and marine measures. 

A geographical mile (the 5i th - part of a degree at the equator) is 
7422 metres. 

A marine mile (the 60^. part of a degree) is i852 metres. 

A fathom ( of 5 feet) is i ^624. 

A knot (1 20 th - part of a mile) is 1 5 m ,433. 

A cable (120 brasses) is 194111,880 (old style) or 20o m (new style). 

5) Coins and money. 

A franc is 5 grammes of silver with 1/10 alloy, equal to g 55/ roo 
pence. Belgian coins are : 100, 5o, 40, 20, 10. and 5 francs in gold ; 
5, 2, 1, 1/2 francs in silver, 20, 10 and 5 centimes in nickel ; 2 and 
1 centimes in copper. 

Banknotes are of 1000, 5oo, 100, 5o and 20 francs. 



1 




^ CConverston of englisb into =p 



f rencb measures. 



9^ 



Or 



1) Measures of length, 



2) Measures of capacity. 



inch 

foot 

yard 

fathom 

pole 

gin 

pint 
quart 
gallon 



3) Measures of weight. 
A. Troy. 1 mite 
1 grain 

1 pennyweight 

1 ounce 

1 pound 

1 carat (pearls) 

1 carat (diamond) 



m. o,0253o, 
0,30479 
0,91408 
1,82876 
5,0291 1 
1. o, 141 
0,5679 
1 , 1 359 
4,5434 

gr. o,oo3,23g 
0,064,798 
i,555,ii7,5 
31,103,496 

: 373,241,948 

4 grains == gr. 0,207,3 
o,2o53 



— TO 



B. Avoirdupois. 



1 dram = gr. 1,771846 

1 ounce = « 28,849540 

1 pound = cc 453,592645 (a little less than 1/2 kilo) 

1 quintal = kil. 5o,8o2 

1 ton = cc 1016,048 

4) Coins and money. 

1 pound sterling = fr. 25,2 2 

1 crown = 5,8i 

1 florin == 2,52 

1 shilling = 1,26 

91/2 pence = 1 

1 pence = 63 centimes 

1 penny = 101/2)) 



At the railway station, a pound sterling whether in gold or paper 
is exchanged for 25 francs. 



x : — -x 

Conversion of frencb s*^ 



measures into englisb^|^ 

To convert grammes into ounces (avoirdupois) multiply by 20/567 
cc kilogrammes into pounds cc 1000/454 

cc litres into gallons cc 22/100 

cc cc into pints cc 88/5o 

cc centimetres into inches cc 100/254 

cc metres into yards cc 70/63 



VVVVVVVVVVVV V V V¥¥¥VV¥¥¥¥ yyV¥¥VVVV¥¥¥ 



T 



^5 Sbort itinerary. 

o those who can spare little time, we recommend the follow- 



ing tour 



Cathedral. — Notre-Dame. — Gruuthuse. — St-John's 
hospital. — Academy and Museum. — Belfry and archeological 
Museum. — Hotel de Ville. — Chapel of the Holy Blood. 
Chimney of the Franc. — See table of contents. 

We would advise tourists, at their first arrival, to take a random 
walk through the streets and thus get a general idea of the place. 
Let them have a look at some of the remarkable spots, such as the 
Minnewater, the Beguinage, the Quai du Rosaire, the Quai de la 
Main d'or, the Reie, the Rempart Ste- Croix ; and, close to the 
station, the Quai des Menetriers down to the St James church. 
Views of all picturesque corners may be had in many shops. In 
the summer an excursion through the country round about town 
will prove most attractive ; on Sunday and monday afternoons the 
scene is lively and may afford many sights, quite in the genuine 
flemish style. Whilst well-to-do people go and spend their time at 
Blankenberghe, the working classes have their quiet revels, with 
wives and children, at Ste-Croix, St-Pierre, St-Michel, Scheepsdale, 
the Pannenhuis (outside the porte des Marechauxj etc. You may 
see them under the lindentrees, drinking their pot of beer, en- 
joying their sandwiches or, if poverty does not afford such dainty 
cheer, mumbling away at dried fish and cracking nuts. Elsewhere 
you may find them at their old games of bowling, and archery, and 
you may think you have seen the igth century Flemings, enjoying 
life as did their forefathers in medieval times. Out of a well known 
daily «Le Patriote» we translate the following, signed Peregrin. 



-*c^| Tbe TXenice of tbe IJortb. 

Bruges has been for the last quarter of a century a famous resort 
for tourists; they have realised that the old town is a precious 
jewel of a long past artistic age. Unfortunately the delicate 
« chisellings were lost in the hideous plastering of modern archi- 
« tecture. Beautiful masterpieces and charming relics of artlayhid- 
« den behind ugly modern structures, and gross neglect or ignorance 
« proved more destructive than time « which spares nothing. » 
« The day came when Bruges again was conscious of its own beauty 



— 12 — 



cc and called on the tourist to admire the unspeakable attraction of 
cc mixed grandeur und decay, and to dream of a glorious youth and 
« splendour. Each monument is a page of history ■ the old moul- 
cc dering stones bear the memory of ages ; the huge belfry sends 
cc its voice reechoing past events from one century to another, revi- 
« ving the fierce tumults of war and the gay revels of peace. 

« One must hear those chimes, amidst the silence and the phan- 
cc toms of night, whilst reading the old local chronicles, or looking 
« at the moon whose beams softly glide on from roof to roof, from 
« the roman tower of the Cathedral to the gothic spire of Notre- 
« Dame. The dead and almost buried town of the i3 tn century rises 
♦ cc to one's fancy from the deep night; he hears the clashing of swords, 
cc the heavy fall of draw-bridges, the rattling chains, the scouts 
a shouting from the ramparts; he sees the brave « Baldwins » dash- 
cc ing across the streets on their caparisoned horses and the 
cc steady burghers rallying under the standards of liberty. It is this 
cc easy recalling of old deeds within the old scenes, that lends the 
« city its own special attractions. 

cc There are delicious quiet nooks, solitary squares with a histo- 
« ricai name, surrounded with quaintly gabled houses, and almost 
cc overgrown with grass, where suddenly some statue catches the 
« eye and sets the mind thinking of famous events. No noise ihter- 
cc feres with your meditations; black shadows silently move about 
cc and disappear round the corners; they are females in their hooded 
cc mantles (kapmantels, as they say) who quietly enter a church or 
« seem to drop away behind the closing door of some small oid 
cc fashioned and curiously sculptured cottage. 

« But what most makes Bruges look like a Venice of the North, 
cc is the maze of its cc canals », bordered with trees and flowery 
cc bushes, and offering an endless succession of picturesque views. 
« Here one must come and see the quiet water flow T under the sunny 
cc old bridges, and the w 7 hite swans move majestically ; here one 
« must pause and listen to the bright or, at times, melancholy notes 
a of the belfry. These dead waters, where blossoms the waterlily, 
cc carried in the i3 1 ^ century ships of every european nation ; these 
« silent wharfs stored merchandise from every part of the world ; 
cc and, down to the 1 5 tn century, i5o vessels would daily enter these 
cc docks. Like the isles of Greece, the canals of Bruges have kept 
cc nothing but their undying beauty. Nowhere is this better seen 
cc than at the ccquai de la Main d'On> and the ccquai des Augustins». 
cc The old houses with arched walls and ivy-clad balconies, have 
u small gardens down to the edge ot the water, where beautiful 
cc flowers vie with each other ; between two stone bridges, under 
cc some quaint cc loghetta » one may see quietly lying some white 
cc boat, just the thing to carry some lady dressed in medieval finery, 
cc On the cc loghetta » are carved in gothic letters the w r ords : Ave 
cc Maria gratia plena, which remind us of the religious poetry of 
<c the place. The Virgin-Mother is the queen of the city ; from the 



n 

— I 



« belfry, where her image has a prominent place, she seems to 
« protect and to reign. 

<( One must also see and relish the beauties of the « quai du 
« Rosaire» with its broad waters surrounded by old flemish houses, 
<( above which rise the pretty spires of the chapel of the Holy 
« Blood. Go and wander about the cc quai des Marbriers », that 
cc celebrated part of old Bruges, where the picturesque gables of 
« the «H6tel du Frano) reflect themselves in the placid canal. Look 
« at the ancient buildings of the « hopital St-Jean », dipping their 
a foundations in the c< Reie » and there you will realize the own 
« beauty of Bruges and feel the attraction of its past glories, its 
« vanished splendour, and its present loveliness. Bruges is a unique 
« town, so charminglv attractive in its ancient robe, girded with 
« its verdant watercourses, that one would almost feel sorry to see 
<c it spoiled by a renewal of life. But then, delicate and poetic souls 
« alone can appreciate such charms. It must be a joy indeed to 
cc spend life under the shadow of majestic towers, lofty spires, 
« quaintly graceful gables, amidst the perfumes of the past, with a 
a horror of modern plainness and ugliness, n 

Thus far our extract from « Le Patriote », a beautiful page of 
descriptive poetry, such as the delicate pen of a lady alone could 
write. Indeed Bruges is far superior to Nurnberg, whose antiquity 
is all stern death, whilst Bruges' is full of life, a joy to hearts which 
understand poetry. No wonder then that manv english tourists 
make it a term of their pilgrimage. The place offers several educa- 
tional establishments for their children. One may meet everywhere 
the english youths roaming about the streets, or on their way to 
their cricket ground, and looking quite at home. Their sisters join 
them at lawn tennis, or — in the winter — at skating on the «Minne- 
water x> and the « canal de Damme». Certain hotels are sometimes 
full of english travellers ; and manv old Indians settle here with 
their young family. 



> x& J^esttYUties, ©x: < 

The annual fair is held from the 3 d till the 18 th of May. This is 
the traditional « kermesse » time, during which the famous 
procession takes places in honour of the Holy Blood. Another 
season of festivities is about the 1 1 f Julv, the anniversary of the 
battle of the Golden Spurs ( 1 3o2). 

*® Successions. \^ 



Procession of the Holy Blood % the monday after 2 n <l of May. 
Leaves the « Bourg )) at o A. M. going trough the a rue Breidel. » 
the cc Grande Place », the ccrue des Pierres»to the Cathedral, 



where pontifical mass is celebrated. After which, the now complete 
cortege slow r ly walks as follows : rue Sud du Sablon, place de la 
Station, rue Nord du Sablon, rue de la Monmiie, Marche aux 
CEufs, Grande Place, rue Philipstock, place Mallenerg. rue Haute, 
rue Longue, rue des Dominicains, rue aux Ronces,quai du Rosaire, 
Dijver, rue Neuve, place Simon Stevin, rue des Pierres, rue 
Breidel. Bourg, where the benediction, a very solemn ceremony, 
closes the pageant. 

Procession of the Blessed Sacrament, sundav after the feast of 
Corpus Christi ; issues from the Cathedral and follows the preced- 
ing itinerary down to the place Malleberg, hence through the Bourg 
and rue Breidel comes back to the Grande Place, where the blessing 
is given, and returns through the « rue des Pierres » to the 
Cathedral. 

Procession of Not re- Dame, i5 l11 August, at 5 P. M. a very im- 
posing pageant. 

Procession of Notre- Dame des Aveugles, same day, every second 
year the first being 1903, at 11 A. M.; a very interesting display of 
medieval scenery, referring to local history. 




A :*§) ^jTk e language. 

v $ 

Though most business people speak french and a good number 
talk english and german . yet the proper vernacular language is 
flemish. This is an arvan dialect belonging to theLow-F rankish 
group, which itself is Low-Dutch, a subdivision of West-German, 
other branches of which are English and Frison. With a little 
trouble Englishmen can quickly acquire a knowledge of the lan- 
guage, enough at any rate to understand and make themselves 
understood. 

|s§=| Tbe origin of tfoe town. 



Bruges (flemish Brugge, engl. Bridge, a township of 56. 084 
souls — (3i dec. 1 90 1 ) — is the seat of the provincial govern- 
ment (province West- Flanders) and of a Bishopric (erected 
i5^o, suppressed 1801, reerected 1884). The cradle of the city was 
the Ouden Burg (old Borough, vieux Bourg) a quadrilateral enclo- 
sure, protected on the South bv the Dijver (a branch of the Reie), 
on the East by the Reie (quai du Rosaire), on the North by the 
Boterbeke, now filled up but still to be traced under the houses on 
the northside of the « rue du Vieux Bourg ». The westside was 
probably protected by a ditch, which being filled up became the 
« rue Neuve » (new street). 



— i5 — 



From ancient documents we know the principal buildings of 
that original borough : 1) a castle (Steen, stone), the residence of 
the magistrate ; 2) a dungeon ; 3) an aldermen's court ; 4) a ware- 
house for wool ; 5) shops in the « petite rue des Merciers » which 
has disappeared (see Bruges en 3 jours p. 258). This borough 
built near the confluent of two rivers and protected by walls and 
ditches, was the Municipium Brugense or Flandrense s mentioned 
by St Ouen in his Life of St Eligius, (7th century). It dated back, 
verv likelv, from the time of the roman invasion, and was falling 
into decay when Charles the bald commissioned Baldwin I, under 
the title of markgrave, to defend our coasts against the Normans. 
Baldwin built a new borough (the present Bourg), surrounded it 
with ditches and stockades, and founded a church in honour of 
St Donatian, whose relics he had brought over from France. A 
further expansion of the township constituted a Castellum forin- 
secum y suburbicum, which Baldwin II (879-919) enclosed within a 
stone wall, partly built from the ruins of the original Ouden Burg. 

The Swiin, an inlet of the sea, afforded a commodious harbour, 
large enough to have sheltered (121 3) a french fleet of 1200 ships ; 
and a complete system of canals, for which the place was indebted 
to the wisdom of the early counts of Flanders, brought to it the 
whole trade of the country. The borough prospered marvellously: 
before the close of the 9 th century, it had grown to reach the 
limits still defined by the present inner canals, and in 1297 it 
reached the boundaries which have encircled it ever since, within 
a circumference of about 7 kilometres 1 rather more than 4 miles). 
The walls raised at that time soon were studded with windmills 
two of which are still extant, on the East side of the a porte 
Ste-Croix » ; nowadays the ramparts are converted into beautiful 
parks and walking grounds, one of the attractions of modern 
Bruges, no longer Bruges of the windmills. 



From the 1 ith century, trade had became prosperous and soon 
Germany, England, France and Belgium were its tributaries. 
During the 12^ century Bruges became the great centre of ex- 
change between Novgorod and the East. Beautiful houses rose out 
of the ground, mighty corporations were established and the requi- 
rements of an ever increasing trade developed industrv. The Lon- 
don ynd the German Hanses were important factors of prosperity. 

The London Hanse was established in the 14th century by the 
burghers of Bruges ; one of them was its count ; twenty-two cities 
were members of the league, and Bruges was their common 
warehouse. At the same time seventeen nations had their trading 
agencies and twenty consulates, their residence. 



— 16 — 



In 1456 local chronicles mention i5o foreign ships entering our 
docks in a single day. In the beginning of the 16 th century. Zeger 
van Male saw the Oosterlings (Orientals or german traders) buy in 
a single day 2,600 pieces of cloth, the work of Poperinghe and 
Tourcoing weavers, which were to find their way into Poland and 
Muscovv. 

Periodical fairs, instituted by the wise Margaret of Constantino- 
ple, encouraged by Gui of Dampierre, and ruled by minutely 
detailed charters, brought to the place a deal of life and business, 
such as we may only see now in the great thoroughfares of London, 
Paris or Vienna. 

« It was a lively sight at that time », says our learned archivist 
Mr Gilliodts-van Severen ,• « great bustle and animation reigned 
amongst the endless crowds of people and traders arrived from all 
parts of Europe; there was what one may call the struggle for 
trade; hemp and flax from Holland, wool from England, leather and 
skins from Spain, silk from Portugal, Greece and France, wood- 
horn- ivory- glass- iron- copper- tin- silver and gold works from 
Germany were the objects of keen competition ; amidst all kinds of 
shops and markets there moved the rich traders of the Hanse, 
conspicuous by their rich robes and the badges or their mighty 
corporations ; there sat the multitude of changers, at their desks, 
with their heaps of coins and moneys of all countries. 

Indeed Bruges was the Venice of the North, seated on the creeks 
which ran across its polders, like the Venice of the South is seated 
on her lagunes ; both showing forth their monuments of art, and 
drawing to their markets the riches of Europe, Asia and Africa. 

Nor was industry less prosperous. Before the end of the 1 3 tl ' 
century the town boasted 52 guilds or trades-unions and a popu- 
lation of iSo.ooo. In 1J09, so important was the place that, in the 
famous Transport of Flanders (taxation book), its own share rose 
to i5/ioo and 1/4 of the whole. Ghent being rated only i3/ioo. 
[In 1 63 1 , Bruges had fallen down to 5/ioo]. Within its precincts 
5o,ooo men were engaged in the various trades, the greater number 
in cloth manufactories. Drapers and clothiers with hosiers and 
brewers were the first of the nine members of the municipality, 
the woolweavers, fullers, dyers and shearers being the second. 
Such corporations were real under-vassals to the city, having their 
feudal duties, military and financial charges, industrial and political 
rights neatly described. 

The great cause of decay was. the gradual drying up of the Swiin, 
a general term for creeks, especially limited to the one which put 
Bruges in communication — through Sluvs — with the North Sea. 
Alreadv in 1410, navigation on this side of Sluys was difficult; in 
1470 the larger ships could no longer reach Damme ; in 1473 the 
harbour of this place was almost filled up with alluvial sand. On 
the Map of Marc Gheeraarts one may see what the Swiin had 



— I 7 — 

dwindled to in 1 562, although, by the terms of his contract, he had 
to show the channel broader than it really was. 

Beginning with the i5 tM century, we see the municipal board . 
of Bruges struggling for two hundred years against this silting 
of their harbour. Many committees were appointed to find out 
the causes of the evil and its remedies. Perhaps hydraulic art 
might have found them; perhaps they might have worked out 
the plans of Lanceloot Blondeel, which are kept in the town-archives 
and agree wonderfully with those recently developed by Mr De 
Maere d'Aertrycke.. . But nothing was done in earnest, 

Manv causes, it may be said, interfered with the good will of 
the Board. 

First, the mutiny and riots against Maximilian, which however, 
we think, were but a transitory drawback. 

More serious mischief was done by the falling to pieces of 
the german Hanse, which had been a capital factor in the way 
of prosperity, having had here more than 3oo agents at a time, 
wealthy traders, from whom several illustrious houses in Germany 
draw their origin. But, at the beginning of the 16 th century, inter- 
nal quarrels had much weakened the league, its rules and laws 
were disregarded, and its Board was indebted. In opposition to its 
privileges, Amsterdam and Antwerp drew to themselves a trade 
which had been a monopoly for Bruges, and traders at last emi- 
grated thither. t 

Another cause of decay was the discovery of America, which 
event changed altogether the former conditions of wealth and trade. 

Lastly, we must mention the religious quarrels of the 16 th cen- 
tury which, an english protestant writer remarks, gave the death- 
blow to our prosperity. 

From 067 to 1 384, protestant intrigues were a source of unin- 
terrupted riots ; after 1577. they had become dreadful. The bishop 
of Bruges, Henri Drieux, was made prisoner and thrown into a jail 
in Ghent : churches outside the town were pillaged and the town 
itself fell a prey to Ryhove (March 1578). The conqueror appointed 
heretics to govern the place ■ no subsidies were given but to the 
gueux or Calvinists ; churches were sacked, monks burnt alive, 
others banished, sacred images destroyed and bells melted. Reli- 
gious liberty was but persecution of the catholics. Many of the 
best and the wealthiest left the town for ever. The peace of i854^ / 
followed as it was for fifty years by war and unrest, did not repair 
the ruins. Trade, to which peace is life, settled in Antwerp, away 
from the scene of riots. 

Such is the history of Bruges' decay. Happily the hour of resur- 
rection has come ; a new channel restoring communication with 
the sea at Lisseweghe (Heystj will- bring back trade and life. 



(1) Migration of Industrial Centres, A lecture delivered at Plymouth Hall. 
January 1878. by L. H. Courtney, M. P., published by the Fortnightly Review of 
1 st December. 



- ,8 — 



The 23 d of August i8q5. a bill was voted authorizing the gigantic 
work and no time has been lost ; such has been the marvellous 
progress both at the channel digging and the harbour works, that, 
in the past ye;ir (1902) steamers have already found their way into 
our long deserted docks. 

As a consequence of those works and a compensation for the 
heavy share of Bruges in the large expenditure, the whole territory 
of St-Pierre-sur-la-digue, and some parts of Coolkerke, Dudzeele, 
Lisseweghe, Uitkerke have been annexed to the city, so that its 
own territory runs now alongside the new canal down to the 
harbour, which is to be called Zee-Brugge (Bruges-on-Sea) ; and 
the superficies of the township, wich was 480 hectares, is now 
2526. 

The i5 r ' 1 century had seen Bruges in all its glory ; the unlimited 
splendours of the court of the Dukes of Burgundy, whose favourite 
residence it was, the wealth of the nobility and the enterprising 
spirit of the trading class contributed largely to enhance its beauty. 
Very soon, alas ! nothing was left but the memory of better times. 
From a document of 1644 we know there were then but 7693 
inhabitants claiming a share of public charitv ; that number went 
on increasing rapidly. In the year 1 856, there were 22,821 inscrip- 
tions on the poorlist ; at present the number is 7,454. 

The ruin of the trade brought down many glorious buildings 
and the iconoclastic fury of protestant zealots hastened the work 
of destruction. The french invasion (1794) has also caused great 
harm, the town having been regularly ransacked. If one wishes to 
have an idea of the sad havoc, let him compare the present condi- 
tion of things with what the birdseye view taken by Marc 
Gheeraerts show them to have been in i562. A new edition of 
the engraving, the plates of which have been preserved, was pu- 
blished some years ago ; a magnifying glass will reveal minute 
architectural details of some buildings. 

Yet, as late as i83o, the place had kept its own architectural 
character; but since, manv beautiful gables have been demolished; 
and even now bad taste or want of skill occasionally spoil some of 
our jewels. Happily not everything has disappeared ; many 
picturesque sights remain untouched and a movement has been 
begun which bids fair to undo much mischief. H. M. the King, a 
sound judge and lover of art, will not let stupid masons spoil his 
Venice. 

The Construction moderne, a parisian journal of art, records the 
praises bestowed by the international Congress of art, held at 
Brussels in 1898, on our admirable works of restoration ; and the 
Bulletin municipal officiel of Paris, in its issue of 4^ December of 
the same year, mentions the municipal board of Bruges « which 
substantially encourages private owners, willing to restore ancient 
buildings, by granting them subsidies amounting to one third of 
the outlay. » 



— ig — 

As it is, there is scarce any of the smallest streets that has not 
either a curious house to show or at least some artistic vestige of 
the Dast, worthy a tourist's attention. Indeed of all Belgian cities, 
Bruges has best preserved its medieval look ; it is a real flemish 
Number g, and esthetically surpasses the famous Bavarian town. 



Tbe Bruges school of painting. 



T 



he Bruges school of painting, or rather the pictorial works, 
deriving from that centre of ideas and tastes, which form the 
A characteristics of Brugian art, have for a long time called the 
attention of esthetic students. « It is beyond question », says Mr Hy- 
mens, « that, although not all the Bruges painters are natives of the 
place, yet their works can never be confounded with those of any 
other school. Nowhere else are to be found immediate forerunners 
to van Eyck, Memlinc, Gerard David and their followers. » — 
<c We find », says Mr G. Hulin, « at Bruges in the early years of 
the 16 th century, special characteristic habits with regard to colou- 
ring and composition and peculiar domineering forms of back- 
grounds and framing, by which it is, as a rule, most easy to 
distinguish a Bruges painting from, say a Brabant painting. » 
This Bruges school has lasted till about 1660 ; and until the end 
was remarkable for the almost complete absence of types painted 
up to the natural size. 

FIRST EPOCH : THE PRIMITIVES. This period takes up 
the whole of the 14th century and extends down to about 1420. 
They are the times prior to the van Eycks. — To it belong many 
water-colour paintings found in tombs at Bruges. Ste-Croix, and 
St-Andre ; or discovered under layers of whitewash at Notre-Dame, 
S.-Sauveur, in the minstrels chapel etc. They seem to be a prelude 
to a special style. Many also are the miniatures and xylographs, 
producing the same impression. We have in the Cathedral a pannel 
painted about 1 390-1400, for the tanners' corporation, representing 
the Calvary with S. Catherine and S. Barbara. We notice in it 
the influence of the Cologne School and a faint dawning of the 
Memlinc art. 

SECOND EPOCH: THE BRUGES SCHOOL AT ITS ZENITH. 

I. The brothers van Eyck, Hubert (about 1370-1426) and John 
(about 1390-1440), have exerted a mighty influence over the con- 
temporary painters who may have seen their works. True, oil 
painting wms known from the 12 th century, as appears from the 
notes of friar Theophilus ; but the van Eycks, by discovering a 
new method (before 1415), have accomplished a complete revolu- 
tion in the art of painting. They found out how to get all colours 
dry in a given time and hence were enabled to use dark tones in 
bituminous pigments and to mix them with the lighter colours. As 



— 20 — 



a consequence, diapered or gilt and stamped backgrounds gave 
way to picturesque scenes and landscapes; and aerial perspective 
was introduced based more on a choice of colours and a diversity 
of light than on the drawing of lines and forms. 

Painting was no longer a purely decorative art dependent on 
architecture ; real easel-painting was found. 

John was taught b\ his brother Hubert, whose polyptich. (at 
Ghent) he finished, but shows tendencies altogether different from 
his brother's. John was essentially a portrait painter and a verv 
realistic one ; his figures of saints and madonnas, as a rule, are 
coarse enough and vulgar ; but his style is vigorous and claims 
admiration ; his colouring, as well as his brother's, is strong; none 
before them exhibited such power or such richness. His vigorous 
tonality he left to his successors and they were so much under its 
influence that it made them imitate the very style of his composi- 
tions. 

Memlinc, Gerard David and others after them faithfully stuck to 
his scale of colours and often followed even his rules of composing. 
He must have had a notable influence on the Haarlem painters, 
whilst he was sojourning in The Hague (1422-24). ' 

Peter Cristus, a native of Baerle near Tilburg seems more to 
have followed Hubert; he came to settle in Bruges in 1 448 and 
died here in 1472. He has more grace with less liveliness than 
John, and never attained the strength of Hubert. 

Thierry Bouts, of Haarlem, settled in Louvain before 1449 ; 
when young must have known John van Eyck at The Hague; died 
in 1475. His style connects him closely with Memlinc. 

II. Hans Memlinc (14. ..-1494), seems not to proceed directly 
from the van Eycks, however much he felt their influence. His 
method of working as well as his temper and his tendencies are 
different from theirs. He did not always follow their method of oil 
painting, at least not in his smaller pannels, in which he rather 
proceeds from the water-colour painters. He often, on a white 
pannel, makes his drawing in black or brown, hatches the shades 
and paints over with transparent or glazy colours. He is as much 
an idealist as John van Eyck was a realist. Compare the likenesses 
painted by either of these great masters. Though very objective, 
the portraits painted by Memlinc suggest mental characteristics 
quite differently from his master, and reflect the serene candour 
of his own soul. He is an ascet and a mystic, the most pious of 
our painters. At the same time he is graceful, charming, full of 
sweet and holv emotions : he has the real heart of a Bruges poet. 
Often Memlinc recedes from the van Eycks in his composing : 
John van Eyck, as well as his predecessors in Bruges, arranges 
his figures in a symmetrical fashion ; Memlinc, though following 
the same plan in his reredos, where he is at monumental painting, 
abandons it altogether in most of his works and is fond of pictu- 
resque composition. As much as John van Eyck's tones are brown 



— 21 — 



or reddish, as much are Memlinc's light and clear ; and therein 
he is closely connected with Thierry Bouts. There is a striking 
similarity between some works of Bouts and others of Memlinc ; 
very likely they knew each other and may have met at van der 
Weiden's and it is only fair to presume that a similarity of cha- 
racters cemented their friendship. 

Hans Memlinc seems to have felt some influence of the Cologne 
school and later of Roger van der Weiden (yclept de la Pasture) ; 
but such influence was never very great. Van der Weiden, a native 
of Tournai, but drawing his origin from Louvain, settled in 
Brussels in 1435 and died there in 1464. His paintings breathe 
more piety than those of John van Eyck but lack the majesty of 
Memlinc's. 

Memlinc has been the greatest of our Bruges painters ; and, 
putting aside all patriotic bias, we dare call him the most complete 
of all painters. c< His faithful rendering of nature — says Mr Hy- 
mans — and his power of colouring put him amongst those who 
possessed in the most extraordinary degree a command over all the 
secrets of their art. » 

Memlinc by himself almost personnifies the second and most 
glorious epoch of the Bruges school. He himself originated a 
school ; his influence extends over all his contemporaries and, 
during nearly a whole century after his death, we see verv many 
lesser works of art proceeding from him. The illuminators of his 
time — see the Grimani breviary of Venice — equally felt his 
influence, though they never came up to either the periection of 
his drawing or the height of his idealism. 

III. Gerard David (14..- 1 523) cannot be separated from Mem- 
linc; he is an exceptional master, with first-rate qualities of his 
own he has a harmonious blending of colours beyond Memlinc, 
and however much inspired by him, remains quite personal. He 
was in great renown at Bruges whilst Memlinc had reached the top 
of his profession. He is not, as Mr Hymans would have it, the last 
of our Bruges painters, but the last ot the best epoch. 

From Gerard David derives the Master of the 7 dolours — per- 
haps Adrian Ysenbrant ( 1 5 1 o- 1 55 1 ; — w T ho may be considered as 
his pupil and was the painter of the beautiful pannel of N. D. so 
characteristic for its sweetness and that thorough finish which the 
painter exhibits in all his works. 

From Gerard David also proceeds the Master of the holy Blood 
(about 1 5 10-1 525) to whom we owe the Deposition from the Cross 
( 1 5 1 g?) in the holy BloGd chapel, and the Dei-para Virgo (about 
i5io) in the S. James church ; and who seems to have been some- 
what under the influence of Quinten Metsys. 

THIRD EPOCH. The Renaissance (1 5 10-1660). Painters by 
mixing themselves up with humanists and poets, are no longer 
plain painters but have made themselves artists. « They are now, 
« says Mr Hulin, interpreters of the contemporary literature of the 



— 22 — 



cc Chambres de Rhetorique », with its complicated allegories, its 
cc emblems, its rebuslike inscriptions ; they are literary artists ». — 
The influence of Gerard David is still felt, but at the same time is 
also felt that of Quinten Metsys, the painter of human feeling, of 
more purely human life. Hence a weakening of the christian 
feeling. Mannerism begins : landscapes are no longer free nature, 
but the artist is at conventional gardening. 

First period from about i5io till about i58o. As the end of 
Gerard David's life is as yet little known, it is possible that we 
may, some day, have to put him here as introducing this period 
wherein we first find John Provost ( 14. 1 629), who proceeds from 
him. His colouring is sober and deficient in brightness, hence the 
general appearance of his works is rather dull. — James van den 
Coornhuse (i5..-'5.. ); his picture of the last judgment, a free imi- 
tation of Provost's, aates from 1578. — Albert Cornells, who was 
already known as a painter in 1 5 1 3 and died in 1 532 . 

Lanceloot Blondeel 1 j 49 . . - 1 5 6 1 ) , a very typical artist, who was, 
less than Mr Weaie thinks, under the influence of Raphael. I find 
in him a certain affinity with Gerard David and the master of the 
7 dolours, in the same way as in the works of Provost. In the deco- 
rative part of his paintings, wmere a degree of exaggeration is 
noticeable, he has followed the German painters of his time, and 
his architectural designs, black on gold, bear a comparison with 
Diirer. Blondeel was an architect and an engineer. 

Second pfriod. Our national painters, resisting foreign influence, 
till about 1660. Peter Pourbus, or Poerbtis (1540-1584), was born 
in Ghelderland. but worked in Bruges, where he married the 
daughter of Lanceloot Blondeel. We nave here very many of his 
paintings. He has a great deal of merit, was clever in composing 
and powerful in colouring. Although a realist, he knows how to 
make some of his figures very expressive of inward feeling. His 
portraits richly deserve notice. A very clever and careful worker, 
he has left pictures, the perfect keeping of which is due to some 
peculiar methods of his. He has much in common with Gerard 
David. 

Francis Pourbus (1 S40-1 58o), is much like Peter Pourbus, 
though evidently his inferior. 

After the Pourbus* come the Claeissins (iroo-i653), several of 
whom, especially Antony (f i6i3) and Peter the younger r\- 1612), 
deserve notice, in asmuch as they are a credit to the old traditions 
of local art. Their influence is apparent in many third rank 
paintings, of which some are to be found in private residences, in 
churches and chapels, others are gathered in the Pottery museum 
and that of the cc Hospices ». They all give evidence of the old 
genius of our Bruges painters, still inspiring their followers in the 
17th century. In their hearts they were local artists, as well as our 
builders down to about 1680. But they could not keep free from 
that kind of sentimentalism, introduced by Quinten Metsys. and so 



1 



— 23 — 



they at last came nearer to the school of Raphael after he had 
broken off from medieval tradition. 

BRUGES PAINTERS OF THE FLEMISH SCHOOL. They 
have been known by the name of Romanists, because they were 
wont to study their art in Rome and imitated the forms of Italian 
artists. From that time the school of Bruges was lost in what is 
called the Flemish school, whose principal seat was Antwerp, and 
which came to its greatest perfection with Rubens. 

Our 17th 'century painters felt the Italian influence as well as 
that of Rubens; yet they all kept a certain degree of originality. A 
striking proof of this is James van Oost, the elder ( 1600- 1671 ) ; he 
often copied Rubens and yet he remains quite himself. Endowed 
with a rare gift of composition, and the author of many works, he 
was a great painter, though sometimes negligent in his drawings. 
In his portraits he may boldly challenge a comparison with 
Rubens. He shows good taste in avoiding such theatrical attitudes, 
exaggerated or senseless gestures and uncalled for foreshortenings 
of which his contemporaries were so fond. His pencil exhibits real 
Saints, whilst others, under pretence of painting Saints, give only 
academical forms and personages. — The portraits ot his son, 
James van Oost, the younger 11639- 17 i3), may sometimes claim a 
comparison with those of van Dyck. 

About the same time were working Gerard Seghers (1 591-1651), 
Ghislain Vroilynck (i5..-i025), Lewis and Anna de Deybter 
(1 656?- 1747) and the Herregoudts, father and son (1633-1724), 
whose talent as artistic painters is undoubted. 

BRUGES PAINTERS OF THE FRENCH SCHOOL. 

In the 18^ century Bruges gave birth to Garemyn (1712-1799), 
who, by his abundant works, his easy pencilling, his rich compo- 
sitions, his bold brush and his bright colouring, was the greatest 
painter in that period of universal decay. He is scarcely known 
outside of his native place, but many of his pictures have been 
attributed to Boucher. 

We may yet name here, amongst our local painters belonging to 
the French school, Suvee (1743-1807), director of the french 
Academy in Rome; Ducq (1762-18291; Odevaere (1775*1830;; 
Kinsoen, the portrait painter (1770-1839), who, all of them, met 
with success in France. 

I ^sjlocal architecture.©*: q£ 



Local art reflects, as it were, the genius of a people. It is then no 
wonder that Bruges should have a style of building, quite its 
own. At Ghent, flemish architecture is rude, harsh and g oomy, 
it neglects niceties of ornamentation ; at Bruges, it displays in the 
smallest details a love of poetry and elegance. 




2d Epoch. - EASTERN GABLE OF GRUUTHUUSE. - ici Epoch. {See p. z5.) 



- 25 — 



We notice that our private buildings begin about 1420 to show 
their own characteristic beauty, which continues inspiring our 
builders until, about 1640, both the local school of painting and 
local architecture seem to die out together. 

First attempts. The art of brick building took its first inspiration 
from the older wooden structures. The gable shows a redented 
ogive in imitation of the wooden gables. See the eastern gable of 
the Gruuthuse hotel which was built about 1420 (p. 24). 

First type. A new system, more appropriated to masonry, 
appears about that same year in the very frontage of the building 
just mentioned. The windows, running through the several stories, 
are enclosed within a frame which, winding at right angles round 
the upper windows, right and left, reaches- in horizontal lines the 
middle of the lintels and rises hence, in double circular arches. 
The space between the superposed windows is decorated with sham 
arcades ; and the spandrels receive a network of ornaments as 
light as lace. The most beautiful sample of this style was the 
Orientals' hotel, built in 1478 by the celebrated John van de Poele, 
of which little remains, but a pretty perfect sketch of which has 
been preserved. This quite typical style of frontages flourished till 
about 1640. 

Second type. A new system was introduced about 1620 ; in this 
a single moulding is made to envelop all the vertical rows of 
windows, winding round the decorative arcades and climbing up 
to the top of the gable. John de Maech seems to have been the 
originator of this system ; see the interior gable which he built in 
\b2o in the town hall (Bureaux de l'etat-civil). This system, though 
less logical, persists till 1640 ; a very good specimen of it may be 
seen « rue du Marecage » 28. 

The pier between the windows terminated first with a straight 
horizontal line ; but soon, by a remarkable improvement, it was 
either rounded off, or else crowned with an ace of spades or a 
double flight of steps. See the pretty building next the bridge of 
« l'Ane aveugle », built in i5yo. 

Third type. About 1527 we find another and more rational style, 
in which the vertical rows of windows are independent from each 
other and crowned, each of them, with arches which carry the eye 
up to the top of the gable. The best specimen of this type is the old 
Shoemakers' guildhall, « rue des Pierres » 40, dated 1527. In the 
back gable of this house , which can be seen from the « rue d' Argent », 
the piers on either side of the central series of windows have 
hollow decorations which help to complete the system of mould- 
ings, rising from either side up to the crowning arch. In the 
beautiful frontage of the house E. 7 « rue Pourbus, » which was 
built in i53o, probably by the same architect, and of which a 
sketch is given (p. 28), we see this kind of style in its full perfec- 
tion. This third type also persists till 1640. 




PONT DE L'ANE AVEUGLE, B. 7, 3 d Epoch. B. (Seep. 2SJ 



— 2 7 — 



Some frontages show the three described types combined to- 
gether two and two. 

RENAISSANCE. First type. The so-called renewal of art begins 
to show its influence on our architects in the patterns of house- 
building about 1640. But the framing of windows continues a 
leading method of decoration and the arcade still crowns the upper 
window. The various stories however are separated by horizontal 
string-courses, and the brick laceworks give way to white stone 
medallions and basso-relievos which represent religious or profane 
subjects, or even mythological symbols. About the same time (1 536) we 
begin to find key stones ol arches, diamond shaped or representing 
some grotesque form. As a specimen of this style see the gable of 
the three kings, « rue du Fil » E. 7, the residence of alderman 
Ronse, late a member of our Parliament, who restored the building; 
it dates from 1228. (See p. 3o.) 

Second type. About i63o is introduced the fashion of rusticating, 
first very superficially then deeper and deeper until we come to 
thorough embossing. White stone lintels cut through the frontage 
and gable, and the horizontal line prevails. As specimens we notice 
the house of Mrs Wante-Banckaert, 28, « rue aux Laines >/ (built 
1684) '•> lambkin 28, c< rue des Pierres » (1634) ; 91, id. (1673) ; 
16 « rue Nord du Sablon » ( 1703). 

Third type. About 1626, tympans disappear ; relieving arches 
decorated with masks or diamonds lintels. The gable is generally 
with steps, seldom otherwise. — The house of Mr Deflou, « rue 
des Bouchers », ( 1 6 3 5 ) ; of Dr Vander Ghinste, «• rue St Jacques », 
(1639). — This type perseveres in frontages until about the middle 
of the 18th century. 

xviiith century. The step gable gives way to fanciful decorations 
with curves and counter curves, pilasters and triangular or rounded 
frontons, and plastered door or windowcases. Our house trontages, 
though showing the general decay of plastic art, keep a certain 
local character which however is no longer the Bruges type. 

The last step gable was built, we think, in 1776, 1, cc rue Espa- 
gnole »; it was lately demolished ; the last extant one of the period 
94, « rue des Pierres », dates from 1767. 

Fore more particulars, see our « Art des facades a Bruges », 
published, 1902, by the editor of the present guide. 






^ JSietorical events at tbe beotnmncj j 
of tbe 14tb century, ©x:©*:©*: 4 



he heroical times of Bruges were the beginning of the 14 th 
century; the borough had become a mighty power. Free within 
its.strong walls and priding itself on its dungeonlike belfry, 



— 2 9 — 



the town, itself a feudal vassal of the count of Flanders, had its 
own subjects, the powerful trades-unions. Rapid strides were made 
towards a completely democratic self-government, when the French 
king, Philippe le bel, a true legist, fond of centralising everything, 
took the opportunity afforded by Gui de Dampierre's imprudent 
rule to stir up quarrels between him and his subjects and prepare 
an annexation of Flanders to the french crown. A fair measure of 
success attended his efforts. But, the count having schemed a 
family alliance with England, the king took him and fifty noblemen 
prisoners, and shut up the count's daughter Philippina in a for- 
tress, where she is said to have died poisoned. He himself came to 
Bruges with his queen Joanna of Navarre, who felt herself less a 
queen than the beautiful and bright ladies of the place, sparkling 
with gold and jewels. Her uncle, James of Chatillon. was made a 
governor, and soon undertook to level the ramparts. This was a 
signal for the rebellion, which broke out under the leadership of 
Peter de Conine, a weaver, and John Breidel, a butcher. 

For some time previous, de Conine had been plotting with the 
sons of the prisoner count ; his fiery eloquence now stirred the 
people. 

In the beginning of May i3o2, the burghers, under orders of 
William of Juliers, grandson to the count, betook themselves to 
the castle of Male, where the French had their arsenal; and, led on 
by Breidel, sacked the castle, killing the garrison. 

William of Juliers now united his forces with those of Breidel 
and de Conine, took himself command of the troop, unfurled his 
standard and stormed the strongholds of the Leliaards, i. e. the 
french-minded nobles, partisans of the french Lil v. Several happy 
enterprises gave courage to the flemish population and an embassy 
came from Ghent with a view to an alliance. Things however were 
not quite ripe and when the ambassadors were back in Ghent, they 
found the popular mind unsettled : most of the gentry were for the 
French and, of the burghers, many were afraid of, others sold to 
the king. 

In the meantime, James of Chatillon had sent for troops and 
those of Bruges, disappointed by their friends of Ghent, seemed to 
lack courage, so much so that William of Juliers abandoned the 
town. Peter de Conine however did not despair ; bent on a last 
effort, he marched on Ghent with i5oo armed men and 100 cross- 
bows. His eloquence, he thought, would conquer the citizens of 
Ghent ; he pleaded hard for the common interest of the country, 
showing that a close alliance would make both cities unconquer- 
able, that the whole flemish people would join the victorious 
standard, that the sons of their count, as brave as they had been 
unfortunate, would lead the army and that soon the flemish Lion 
would crush the invaders. The speech proved unavailing; the ma- 
gistrate called the burghers to battle, not against the Leliaards, but 
against de Conine, who, unwilling to engage into civil war, made 




RUE DU FIL, E. 7., 1628, 4th Epoch. (See p. 2 7. J 



— 3i — 



good his retreat to Bruges, exhorting the sons of Gui de Dampierre 
to keep ready for better days. 

He was however much encouraged by the happy result of an 
expedition to Ardenburg, where the people had pulled down the 
count's scutcheon and put up the french Lily ; de Conine stormed 
the place, took it, put up again the flemish colours and severely 
mulcted the Leliaavds. But, on his return, he found the gates of 
Bruges shut against. him and had to retire to Damme. 

On Wednesday io rh of May i3o2, warning was given that all who 
had anything to fear should leave the town, as the French were 
to enter, although unarmed. During the night many burghers left 
with their wives and children for Damme and Ardenburg, where 
they met Breidel and de Conine. Scarce had they left the town, 
when de Chatillon entered it, not, as promised, without arms, but 
with 1700 horsemen and a strong following of soldiers and bowmen 
fully equipped. At sight of this army and of its haughty chief, 
patriotic feelings were roused and the memory called back of lost 
or threatened liberty. Chatillon, it is true, declared he would pun- 
ish only those who had been at the sacking of Male, but, riding 
through the streets, he was observed to throw threatening looks 
and to mutter threatening words ; a rumour spread that he had 
boasted of sending soon the citizens to the gallows ; and it was 
known that one of the french knights had quitted the town, 
saying he would be no partner in the treacherous tragedy which 
was preparing. It was also rumoured that none of the French 
would for a moment quit his weapons, that they were ever ready 
to begin the killing and that their waggons, at the rearguard, 
were loaded with ropes to hang the Klamvaavds (Patriots, parti- 
sans of the Lion). Evidently a fearful drama was to be enacted. 

During the night, some of the *staunchest patriots left Bruges and 
joined the exiles. «Friends» — they said — «if vou wish to save your 
wives and children and homes and goods, come back at once : the 
French are ready for murder and plunder. » The words had not 
to be said twice ; instantly Breidel and de Conine gathered their 
men and marched towards the town. 

That very night. James of Chatillon had given a splendid supper 
in honour of the chancelor Peter Flotte, him whom Pope 
Boniface VIII had compared with Belial ; the foremost knights 
of the army had been invited. After this supper, he had placed 
guards all about his residence and was reposing for the night, 
having appointed the next day for his bloody scheme. The guards, 
themselves tired with the day's toil, had fallen half asleep, but the 
fellows of the several trades-unions were awake ; some were 
gathering in their accustomed meeting rooms, others on the ram- 
parts, on the look out for their exiled brethren. Before daybreak 
these had reached Sainte-Croix, where a council was held : i6qo 
men were sent .to beset the several gates and cut off their way of 
escape to the French ; of the rest, one troop, led on by Breidel, 



— 32 



had to march through the Speipoorte (the no longer extant Porte 
de l'Ecluse) to the residence of the french governor ; the other, 
with de Conine, was to enter through the Porte Sainte-Croix and 
occupy the market square. 

It was a friday, the i8 rM of may i 3o2 ; the sun was just rising, 
when, from the ramparts, the Klanwaards, numbering 7000 
fighting men, were seen to approach. At once the word was sent 
round and armed men took possession of the streets. Breidel and 
his men had soon filled up the ditch and come up to the gate, 
which being opened, «men of Bruges» — he shouted — «the moment 
has come to conquer liberty, to show you are still the dauntless 
men which your forefathers have been. » One thunderlike voice 
was the answer: « Flanders to the Lion! Schild ende Vtiend ! 
Death on the French! » and the armed mob rushed on. 

Much the same scene was enacted at the Porte Ste-Croix, whence 
de Conine's troop marched on to S. Donatian's and S. Saviour's 
churches, whilst Breidel was hastening towards the governor's 
house. Schild ende vriend (Shield and friend) two flemish words, 
which no Frenchman could pronounce without being detected to 
be a foreigner, was the universal shout ; whoever fails properly 
to pronounce the word is slain on the spot, and flight cannot avail: 
the same watchword waits the fugitives at every gate. 

The governor mounts his horse and tries to rally his men ; 
but the horse is killed under him and, together with his guest 
of the festive night, he flies for his life. Deprived of their chieftain 
and surrounded with foes, the French are helpless, and their own 
blood reddens the streets of the town, which they had expected to 
sack and ruin. There was never a chance to make a stand, except 
for a short time on the market square • here some knights had 
rallied under the command of Walther of Sapignies ; yet the 
struggle was short ; the women were throwing stones at them, 
from roofs and windows, whilst the men were battering them 
down with their heavy goedendags (gooddays) (1). 

Dreadful was the people's revenge ; the slaughter lasted the 
whole day and 1 5oo Frenchmen were killed, whilst 100 only were 
made prisoners. The following night, James of Chatillon together 
with Peter Flotte fled in disguise ; their horses swam across the 
ditch, near the Porte des Marechaux; their page however was * 
drowned. 

The slaughter of that day is known as « the Bruges' matins », 
whilst the day was called good friday, it having been the day of 
freedom reconquered. 

Soon however, the french king invaded the country with a mighty 
host of 60,000 warriors, and the picked chivalry of France and 
Navarre, together with some of the flemish noblemen, renegades 



(1) A kind of ironpointed clubs used by the flemish guilds in arms and a fearful 
weapon in their hands. 



— 33 — 

to their country and followers of the french Lily. The flemish 
army, 20,000 men only, was commanded by the count's sons and 
some of the faithful knights. A battle was fought the 1 i th of July 
i3o2, in the fields of Groeninghe, near Courtrai, where a hard- 
fought victory crowned the flemish standard. The battle is known 
under the name of the golden spurs battle, on account of the great 
number of golden spurs taken by the conquerors from the dead 
bodies of the french knights. 

The men of Bruges had their glorious share in the triumph. As 
a consequence, a democratic form of government prevailed ever 
since in the city ; business was transacted and accounts settled in 
their own flemish language, under control of the people. At that 
time, Bruges had its own military navy, with a crew of 63o men ; 
it had also a well equipped corps of municipal horsemen. 



^® Celebratet) men. f*B^ 



It w r ould be impossible to mention all the illustrious men whom 
Bruges has brought forth or nurtured at the various epochs of 
her history down to our own times ; the bare list of them would 
fill many pages. The traveller may find many, together with histo- 
rical and biographical notes, in our a Bruges en trois jours. » 
There we have noticed memorials left by the English kings 
Edward IV, Charles II, the dukes of Gloucester, Catherine of 
Bragance, Margaret of York, Margaret of Austria and many more 
distinguished foreigners. We meet there also John Brito, the first 
printer, Colard Mansion, Erasmus, Lewis Vives, S. Thomas pf 
Canterbury, S. Bernardine of Sienna, S. Ignatius of Loyola, 
B. John Soreth, S. Simon Stock, Albert Durer, William Caxton, 
Thomas Morus, Wolsey and many more whom we forbear to 
mention here. 

Especially under the reign of the magnificent Dukes of Burgundy, 
Bruges, the residence of their splendid court and the commercial 
metropolis of western Europe, received within its walls many far- 
famed visitors. A queen of arts, and a centre of uncounted wealth, 
she drew to her the most distinguished men of any of the liberal 
professions. Hence foreign tourists will frequentlv meet with re- 
miniscences of their own national glories; we mention such as 
may prove particularly interesting to the english traveller. 



- 3 4 - 




£ • 

fragments of GCngltsb JStstot^ in 
connection wttb Bruges. 



he language on the flemish coast was so much 
alike to that of the southern Anglo-Saxons, 
that it was possible for the latter to send out 
j missionaries of the Gospel to our heathen fore- 
fathers. Communications were easy and rapid between 
the English coast and Damme, the harbour of Bruges, 
and the nearest landing place north of the Portus 
Iccius. The close relationship of race, the fastgrowing 
political importance of our counts, and matrimonial 
connections with the Anglo-Saxon and Danish dynasties 
favoured the intercourse. Hence, from the very earliest 
times, do we find traces of it. 

The name of Bruges first occurs in the life of 
St Eligius (+ 665) by his disciple St Audoenus ; and 
already in 694 we notice (see Vredius) the presence in 
Bruges of the Northumbrian St Willibrord. Tradition 
also points to Winfrid (a disciple of St Boniface) born 
in Devonshire about 680, who is believed to have built 
here the church of Notre-Dame about 744. 

Under Charles the bald. Bruges had its own mint, 
which shows it to have been an important trading 
place before the second half of the 9 th century. The 
marriage of our count Baldwin J I with Elstrude, a 
daughter of king Alfred the great, is a proof of how 
the political importance of the flemish counts was ap- 
preciated by the Anglo-Saxons, towards the middle of 
that same century. 

That marriage was the occasion for frequent inter- 
course between the inhabitants of either coast, so 
much so that we find landed properties granted in 
England to some of our flemish abbeys. Later on and 
down to the 18 th century, Flanders, and especially 
Bruges, afforded frequently a shelter to many whom 



- 35 — 



political or religious quarrels drove away from Eng- 
land. Thus we find in Flanders S. Dunstan, an abbot 
of Glastonbury (later bishop of Canterbury) driven 
into exile by the tyrannical King Edwy [g55-g5g). 
In 1087, queen Emma, a sister to Richard II duke of 
Normandy, and wife (1002) of King Ethelred and 
(10 17) of King Canut, took shelter at Bruges from 
the political troubles which followed the demise of her 
second husband. She lived here in a stately house 
richly furnished and lent to her by the count of Flan- 
ders. During the war between the old Anglo-Saxon 
dynasty and the Norman conqueror, we find at Bruges 
Earl Godwin with his two sons Gurth and Tostig, 
the latter of whom married our Baldwin V's daughter 
Judith. 

Again, we shall see in the treasure of our Cathedral 
the funeral tablet of Gunhild, a sister to the last Anglo- 
Saxon King Harold II. She fled from England with 
her mother, after the battle of Hastings {14 October 
1066) After a short stay at S^Omer, she came « as 
everyone did at that time », says Freeman (old English 
history p. 254,) to Bruges to count Baldwin. She came 
back, after some stay in Denmark, and died here 24 th 
of August 1087. in odour of sanctity. A leaden tablet, 
bearing a short description of her life, was found under 
her head in her sepulcre, in the cloister of St-Dona- 
tian, when the french republicans pillaged this church. 
She left to that church a great deal of jewels and 
manuscripts, amongst them an Anglo-Saxon psalter, 
unfortunately lost, and perhaps the mantle of St Bridget, 
an abbess of Kildare, in Ireland, who w 7 as of the royal 
house of Scotland and died in 523 ; which mantle is 
still to be seen in our Cathedral church. 

Next w r e have to mention S. Thomas Becket. Born 
in London 21 December n 17, provost at first of Be- 
verley and chancelor of England, then archbishop of 
Canterbury, he had to fly from his country (2 Nov. 
1164) to escape the fury of King Henri II ; after a 
six years' exile, he had scarce set foot again in England, 



— 36 — 



when he was martyred in his own cathedral (29 Dec. 
1 1 70). During his exile, he spent much of his time 
in Flanders, often visited Bruges and consecrated the 
count's chapel in the castle of Male. Among the « sou- 
venirs » of the sainted martyr, w r e have in the abbey 
of St Trudo a small painted likeness of him ; in the 
vestry of S* John's hospital a clot of his blood, in a glass 
cylinder, adorned with two golden crows (i5 th centu- 
ry) ; and in the Beguinage of Dixmude, his chalice and 
chasuble. 

S. Simon Stock, born in Kent (ii65), entered the 
Carmelite order in 12 12 and being made the superior 
general (1245) visited the Carmelite convent of Bruges 
(now the St Leo's school) the year before his death, 
which occurred at Bordeaux 16 Mai 1 265 . 

In the naval battle which was fought near Damme 
(June 1340), Edward III king of England is believed 
to have first known the manner of suspending the 
rudder from the lumberholes. a method we already see 
on the great seal of Damme of 1 326 ; for, golden coins 
struck by him after that battle, reproduce the same 
disposition. The king had been wounded in the battle 
and, to thank God for his victory, he went on a 
pilgrimage to our Lady of Ardenburg ; such at least is 
the local tradition. 

In the convent of the Augustinians at Bruges, was 
ratified the treaty of peace concluded at Bretigny (8 
Mai i36o) between Edward III king of England and 
John king of France, which put an end to the french 
king's captivity. He had been taken a prisoner by 
Edward at the battle of Poitiers, 19 September 1 3 56. 

About the year 1400, when king Richard II, be- 
trayed by his own subjects, lost together his throne 
and his life, Bruges was the refuge of Henri Percy, 
earl of Northumberland, one of the unfortunate Ri- 
chard's staunchest supporters. He and his suit were 
sheltered in our abbey of the Eeckhoutte. He, however, 
did not stay there a long time: in 1403, having joined 
in a league with Glendowdwy, prince of the Welsh, 



- 3 7 - 



and the earl of March, he fought against Henri IV 
and was defeated at Shrewsbury. 

In June 1468, king Edward IV, with his young 
sister, Margaret of York, sailed from Margate for 
Flanders. They landed at Sluys, where Charles the 
bold, duke of Burgundy, secretly paid them a visit 
and was betrothed to the fair princess (27 June). The 
2 nd of July, they arrived at Damme, and the following 
day, between 5 and 6 in the early morning, the mar- 
riage was celebrated before Richard, bishop of Salisbury 
and a relation of the king, in the dining room of 
the local magistrate. The same day Charles and Mar- 
garet made their « joyous entry » into Bruges, and 
we find in our municipal accounts as w 7 ell as in the 
chronicle of Olivier de la Marche a description of the 
magnificence displayed in the decoration of the barge, 
the public reception, and the tournament. Amongst 
the things presented to the bride we notice wax, wine, 
a gilt silver statue of her patron-saint S. Margaret, 
which, with the leathern casket, cost nearly 80 pounds. 

The same year, in May, Edward IV had been present 
at the 1 i th chapter of the Golden Fleece, held by 
Charles the bold in the church of Notre-Dame. The 
king's arms are to be seen on the Southside of the 
stalls, with this subscription : Edouart, roy d Engle- 
terre et Seigneur dCYrlande. 

After the death of Charles the bold, Margaret of 
York stayed in Belgium, where she was an object 
of love and took an important part in political ques- 
tions. Her library seems to have been a large one ; and 
she herself translated several books, amongst others the 
Recueil des histoires de Troyes of Raoul Le Fevre, 
a chaplain to Philip the good, which translation was 
printed by Caxton and was the first english book 
printed with moveable types. We believe the work 
to have been printed here in the duke's palace, the 
residence of Margaret, with the same types which had 
been engraved on account of the duke, for the french 
edition of 1466. It is known that Caxton introduced 



— 38 — 



into England the art of printing which he had acquired 
here, and which has been first invented here by John 
Brito. Margaret of York died at Mechlin in i5o3. 

In 1470 Edward IV, flying from the evil designs 
of his brother the duke of Clarence and Richard 
earl of Warwick, landed in Frise and came to Bruges 
(1 3 January 1471). He took shelter with Lewis, lord 
of Gruuthuse, in his splendid house, now restored, 
close to the church of Notre-Dame. Here he had his 
court till the 19 th of February, when he, with the 
help of the duke of Burgundy and the Hanseatic 
League, achieved the triumph of the white over the 
red rose. The king had been accompanied by his brother 
the duke of Gloucester and spent some time in the 
lord of Gruuthuse's castle at Oostcamp. The 26 th of 
December 1470, he made a pilgrimage to our Lady 
of Ardenburg. Whilst staying at Bruges, he had 
become acquainted with Josse de Bui, the founder of 
the St Josse's hospital, rue des Baudets. This Josse 
de Bui gave shelter to Lord Scales, the king's brother- 
in-law, and other followers of the white rose. Josse 
de Bui's tombstone bears his arms, with the collar 
of suns and roses, and the white lion attached, a gift 
of the king. The original collar is seen in the Musee 
des hospices. 

The king with his followers took ship at Damme 
(igFebr. 1 471) and, from Canterbury, wrote a thankful 
letter to « his very dear and especial friends the 
escoutetes, burgomasters, aldermen and counsellors of 
Bruges, to thank them as heartily as possible for 
their kind hospitality and love. His sojourn at Bruges 
had been a great comfort to him and his attendants ; 
he promises the town his help and support in every 
circumstance, and sends to his munificent host, the 
lord of Gruuthuse, the title of earl of Winchester, 
(September 1472). 

We must believe, Edward IV was again at Bruges, 
the 3o th of April 1478, for the i3 th chapter of the 
Golden Fleece, which was held in the then collegiate 



- 3 9 - 

church of St Saviour, since we find his arms on the 
northside of the choir, with the inscription : ties hault 
et puissant prince Edouard, Roy d y Angieterre, 

The month of August i 52 i saw at Bruges a gathe- 
ring' of celebrated men, such as few places ever saw. 
Charles V was here, in the Cour des Princes (now 
the convent of les Dames de la Retraite). Christiern II 
the cruel king of Denmark, came to settle with the 
emperor some political questions, and the payment 
of his wife's dowry ; she was the emperor's sister. A 
few days later, arrived cardinal Wolsey with a royal 
attendance of more than 5oo men on horseback and 
numerous servants. He was for three days closeted 
with the emperor, preparing a league of his king 
Henri VIII with Charles V against France. The treaty 
was signed the 25 th of August, amidst the turmoil 
of festivities. Erasmus dined several times with the 
illustrious personages. Thomas More was one of the 
cardinal's attendants. The sainted chancelor was four 
times at Bruges: in 014 with Cuthbert Tunstall/ 
since bishop of London; in i5i5 with the embassy 
from Henri VIII to the prince of Castille; again in i52o 
and lastly, as noticed, with cardinal Wolsey. It was 
here ( 1 5 1 5) that he wrote his treatise on the usefulness 
of the greek language. One of his relations, a mother 
superioress of the english convent, lies buried at 
Ste-Croix, lez-Bruges. Of king Charles I, (1625-1649) 
we have a full size likeness, at our Hotel de Ville. 

After his defeat by Cromwell (i65i), Charles II fled 
to the continent; he arrived at Bruges the 25 th of 
April 1 656 and resided with his friend Preston, rue 
Oudenburg. He left for Antwerp, the 22 nd of June, 
but soon came back and lived with his brother the duke 
of Gloucester, rue haute 8, where he had his court 
until he left Bruges, 7 Febr. 1 658. 

During the year 1 656, he was present at the prize- 
shooting in the guildhall of the S l Barbara's archery, and 
himself fastened the golden bird on the winner's breast; 
(the winner was one Peter de Pruyssenaere; the grounds 



— 4° — 



are now enclosed in the Ecole Normale, rue S* Georges). 
— The same year he was again at a birdshooting of the 
same guild and his brother James, duke of York, got the 
bird. A picture by John van Meuninxhove (1657) 
shows the king, attended by the duke of Gloucester and 
other members of the guild, in the act of suspending 
the bird round his brother's neck. Another picture of 
the same painter represents the banquet which was 
offered the royal archers. The guild had also a picture 
of the duke of Gloucester. All these pictures are now to 
be seen in the Hotel de ville. 

Charles II and his brother of Gloucester were also 
members of the Sebastian's guild of archery, rue des 
Carmes. The duke presented the guild with a silver 
arrow, adorned with his arms and motto, which is still 
in the guildhall. In the book of membership, the king 
is inscribed, with his own writing, under date of 
3 d August 1 656. 

In 1662 he forwarded through Sir Marc Albert de 
Ognate, for his own « mortuary debt » and that of his 
brother, who had died 3 d Sept. 1660, a sum of 36oo 
florins. The money was spent in building the actual 
meeting room, which has a bust of the duke of Glou- 
cester by J. V. Rookorst (\65y). 

A marble bust of the King is in the Musee archeo- 
logique. When he reascended the throne, he hastened 
to thank the citizens of Bruges for their hospitality, 
in a latin letter, dated Westminster 10 th of July 1666, 
and brought by Marc Albert de Ognate, who was on his 
way, as ambassador to the governor-general of the Low 
Countries, Marquess of Rodrigo. 

Lastly we may mention a visit to Bruges of her gra- 
cious Majesty queen Victoria, with the Prince Consort, 
i.5 th Sept. 1843. She was inscribed as a member of the 
S 1 Sebastian's guild, signed her admission and presented 
the guild with a silver cup. Another was sent in 1893, 
on the 50^ anniversary of her membership. 



The religious persecution in England brought many 
english exiles to Bruges. English Carthusians resided 
from 1569 till 1578 in the old house, called the cistern, 
west-side of the rue S te -Claire. 

In the church of the Dominican convent, of which 
nothing is left but a ruined gate riear the Pont des Do- 
minica ins, were buried the Dominican nuns of Dertford, 
refugees from queen Elizabeth's persecution. Philip II, 
king of Spain, had sent a ship to bring them over to 
Flanders; one of them was a sister of the sainted martyr, 
bishop Fisher, of Rochester. 

English nuns of the third order of S l Francis esta- 
blished themselves in part of the ruined Cour du Prince 
(1662). Their convent established first at Brussels (162-1) 
had been transferred to Nieuport (1637). Their chapel 
here was consecrated under the title of our Lady of 
seven dolours, by the bishop of Bruges (18 May 1664). 
Henri Howard, duke of Norfolk, had built himself a re- 
sidence next to that chapel, which his widow gave to the 
nuns ; it became the residence of their chaplain and a 
lodging house for visitors. The duke's head was kept in 
the chapel in a porphyry urn. The triptych by John 
Mostaert, now in the church of S. James, belonged to 
the convent. The 1 5 th of June 1794, the nuns hurriedly 
flying from the french invasion, left for Delft in Holland, 
whence they crossed over to England (23 d July)! They 
settled successively in London, Winchester and Taun- 
ton (Somersetshire, 1807 or 1808), in which last place 
they still have a flourishing community ; some flemish 
words, picked up during their sojourn at Bruges, are 
still to be noticed in their talk. The French sold the 
furniture of the convent, but some sepulcral stones are 
extant in the garden walls. 

See also English convent rue des Carmes. 

The english Jesuits, established at St-Omer since 
1593, transferred their college to Bruges (1763). The 
lower school (petit college) was in the old consular 
house, quai du miroir ; the higher school (grand col- 
lege) in the Hotel Seventowers, rue haute 8. They were 



— 42 — 



going to build a large college on grounds situated be- 
tween the marche du Vendredi, the rue de la Hache and 
the rue des Vierges, when the society was suppressed 
(1773). The plans, by one De Cock, are still extant. 

Amongst their pupils, we mention M r Weld, the 
founder of the celebrated Stonyhurst college'and Thomas 
Barrow, who became a Jesuit and at the age of 16 years 
stood a public examination, both in latin and english, 
anent all the poets of Rome and Greece, whether of 
first or second rank, and Universal Geography. 
Amongst the fathers we notice John Carroll, who be- 
came (1789) the first catholic bishop of Baltimore U. S. 

The state archives at Brussels have several manu- 
scripts, formely the property of our english Jesuits. 
The college was taken over by english Dominicans 
from Bornhem, but soon w r as shut. 

As a trading corporation, the English had a seat at 
Bruges as early, at least, as 1 285, and the Scots are 
mentioned in the accounts of the municipality in 1291. 
— Documents fail for earlier times. 

The first mention of an english consulate occurs in 
1890; yet in i3o2 and i3o5 we find a house called 
Inghelant ; in 1494 the consulate was at the corner of 
the rue St-Jean and the rue Anglaise ; in i558 it was 
transferred quai du Miroir just opposite the pout du 
Roi to the house which bears now the number 14, the 
same which received later the english Jesuits (see p. 41). 
The rue Anglaise (english street) had its name as early 
as 1337; the english weight (weighing house) was there, 
at least, since 1 368, and as late as 15.79. Near the pont 
du Roi was the place Anglaise (english Square) ; and 
two Little England's streets (petites rues d'Angleterre) 
were branching off, one from the rue Neuve de Gand, 
the other from the rue de V Huile. 

From 1 3o2 we know of several houses whose very 
names set one athinking of England ; later we find : 
the Unicorn , Inghelant, the arms of Inghelant, new 



- 43 - 

England, old England, head of England, king of 
England, English shield, English arms, London, to- 
wer of London, Britain, old Britain, etc., and two 
english taverns in the rue de Cordoue. 

The english merchants had long venerated St Thomas 
Becket in the church of the Carmelites, when they 
reestablished their confraternity in 1044. They had their 
burying place in their sainted patron's chapel ; a daily 
Jow mass and a high mass on tuesdavs were founded in 

O J 

the beginning of the 1 5 th century. A document, dated 
26 May i ."44, bears the signatures of Thomas Lutyez, 
Richard Preston, John of Kent of the London diocese ; 
another, amongst the charters of the Carmelites, is 
signed bv Thomas of Melckeborne, mayor of the En- 

O J J 

glish Staple at Bruges, Nickolas Chirloo, Richard of 
Salteby, Richard of Sletholme, John Attegate, Lambert 
of Allemania, Thomas of Ludworck, Thomas of Mel- 
ckeborne, junior, all of them english merchants. 

The Irish nation had its consulate from 1 383- 1 390 in 
the Waterfort house, now unknown. Its merchants en- 
joyed privileges as early as 1387. In the 16 th century 
thev had here, twice a vear, a fair for the sale of broad- 
cloth, serge and furs. Two houses, one called Ireland, 
the other S*- Patrick, bade one think of the Irish nation. 

The Scots' consulate was, in 1 383 , close to the Au- 
gustinian convent ; in 1470 it was transferred to the 
St Martin's Square, which took the name oi place des 
Ecossais. The scotch brokers had their chapel in S* Giles' 
church, where we find a close called porte des Ecos- 
sais. There were also the quai des Ecossais (now quai 
S te -Anne). the petite rue des Ecossais and two houses 
called Schotland [iojq . 

We rind the trade in english beer mentioned in docu- 
ments of 1298. English cheese, especially of Cornwall, 
is mentioned in 1 3 36. In 1371, 104 different kinds of 
goods are mentioned as brought over, for trade, from 
England and names are given of 37 english traders and 
one insh. 

English cloth, prohibited here in 1307, is admitted 



— 44 — 

on transit in 1359. In 1439 the prohibition seems to get 
forgotten and in 1453 cargoes are seized. Diplomatic 
conferences are held in r 45 3 & 1494, to no purpose, it 
seems, except that the prohibition became reciprocal. 

Wool from England and Scotland was to be sold at 
Bruges wholesale only in i365, and was an occasion for 
many quarrels in the 14 th and i5 th century. So impor- 
tant was the trade with England that, in 1467, an ex- 
change rate had to be fixed for english money: theenglish 
noble was rated at 36 1/2 to the marc ; other coins, in 
proportion. 

The London Han\e was an association of traders, 
enjoying a patent right on the markets of Bruges, 
London and other associated places. The Han\e took 
dues from the merchants of the place and from foreign 
traders resorting to it. The London Han\e existed here 
before the 1 3 th century, and a charter of close to the year 
1 187 mentions the fact. 

The chief (or count) of the Hanze was by right a 
native of Bruges ; the skildrake (esquire), a native of 
Ypres. Membership could be granted only at Bruges 
and London ; the treasury was to be kept here and con- 
trolled by the local municipal board. The admission fee 
was 30 sols and 3 pence sterling, which was reduced to 
5 sols and 3 pence for the sons of associates. We have 
in our municipal accounts the names of members since 
the year 1285. A condition of membership was to belong 
to a guild, which excluded manual labour; artisans wish- 
ing to enter the association, were to have abandoned 
their profession since one year and one day and to pay 
the enormous fee of one marc of gold', which was tant- 
amount to exclusion. Evidently, the Hanze was a 
capitalists' syndicate. 



4- 



* 





m 



he railway station was built in 1879-86 after a 
design of M. J. Schadde, an Antwerp archi- 
tect. A Brussels architect, Beyaert, added 
some parts with a view to strengthen the 
fabric. The whole is a kind of imitation of the old 
Bruges' style. 



y ^iluB 



Tbe Gatbe&ual St Saviour's 



In the 7 th century S. Eligius founded here, in honour 
of the B. Virgin, a chapel, which grew to be a parish 
church before 961 and took the name of the Holy Sa- 
viour. A collegiate church in i5oi, it became a cathe- 
dral in 1834, under the title of St-Saviourand St-Donatian, 
and lost its former secundary title of St-Eligius, who 
from the early times had been considered a patron-saint 
of the church. 

Outside. The outside of this church, a red brick 
building, is very plain, as required by our seashore 
climate. The lower parts of the tower date from 961, 
11 16-27 an d l ^58 ; The upper part, of a hybrid roman 
style, from 1844-46; and the copper-plated central 
spire from 1 87 r . 

The church was burnt down in 1 1 16, rebuilt and con- 
secrated 24 th of April 1 127. Some parts within the tow r er, 
from the first t6 the third story, belong to that period. 



- 46 - 



Burnt again in 1181 and rebuilt 1 1 83- 1 223. The first 
bays of the choir, with the corresponding part of the 
ambulatory and an eastern portion of the transept, are 
believed to be a part of this reconstruction; we however 
think that elegant part of the building to date from the 
end of the 1 3 th century (1 290-1300). 

A third fire occurred in i 358 which caused the re- 
building of the naves and part of the transept < 1 358- 
]362). The south gable of the transept dates from 1407. 
The chapels in the ambulatory and the apsis w T ere begun 
by John van de Poele and finished by Ambrose Roelants 
and John Beyts (1480- 1 527). The former of these build- 
ers undertook, with success, the dangerous work of 
underpinning part of the ambulatorv and the, lower 
portions of the apsis of the choir. 

Inside. The sight of the nave is very fine, and al- 
though the floor was raised 25 centimetres ( 1 840) the 
proportions are perfect. The style in the nave and tran- 
sept ( 1 358-1 362) is rather severe ; in the first bays of 
the choir (1 1 83-1223) it is simply beautiful. 

The ambulatory was vaulted in 1 527-30, the apsidal 
chapels not completely before i58o; the choir was vault- 
ed anew in ogival style (1738). The church had been 
whitewashed a first time in the beginning of the 17 th 
century. In 1871 the late canon Leuridan, rector of the 
parish, began the scraping it away, and had the whole 
church painted in colours by baron Bethune d' Yde- 
walle and M. Arthur Verhaegen (1874-75). 

WORKS OF ART. Starting from the bottom of the 
church, we find : 

North sidewalh Annunciation and the Coming down 
of the H. Ghost, by James van Oost the elder ( 1 658). 
On the middle pannel. the painter's portrait and that of 
his son. 

Above the gate : Christ on the Cross. 

First pillar : holy-water vessel (i5oo). 

Stained glass window, by H. Dobbelaere (1871). 

Martyrdom of St Barbara, by C. Cels- (i 809). 



ft 
ft 
ft 

ft 

ft 
* 
ft 
ft 
ft 
* 
ft 
ft 
ft 
ft 
ft 
ft 

ft 
ft 
* 

ft 
ft 
ft 
ft 
ft 
ft 
ft 
ft 
ft 
ft 
ft 
ft 
ft 
ft 
ft 
ft 
ft 
ft 
ft 
ft 
ft 
ft 
ft 
ft 
ft 
ft 
ft 
ft 
ft 
ft 
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ft 
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[acing the @atbebual 

Ulue fces jgMerres, 98 

is situateb the 

genecal prtnttiiG office 

iD^pogmpb^ * iMtboctrapbp * OTbromo* 
Utbograpbs- * Printing with pbotograpbic 
processes QElusic, etc. etc.) of 

ctyns. unit be Vpere»ffeti)t 

Successor to tbe plD flints : 

Jacques P^et^t anb W e Jacques ^>et^t 



I^lbis firm bas been tbe originator of tbat fund of 
veltgtOUS gotbtC pictures, renowned tbrougbout 
tbe wbole woflfc as *BrU(}tau pictures*. :£sta* 
blisbed more tban 50 gears ago, it bas conquered a 
well deserved fame bg its numerous artistic public 
cations in medieval style. — Brtistic=minded fo= 
reicjners wisbinct to procure cjotbic pictures and 
cbromolitbocjrapbs (a unique speciality of JBrucjes) 
sbould not fail to avail tbemselves of tbeir visit to 
tbis town, to call at tbe sbowrooms sttliateb 

rue bes pierces 98, opposite tbe Catbebral. 



Printing of books, pamphlets etc* — Spe* 
cialitp of ricb priiituigs. — £Mtion of 
works for author's or own account ex©* 

J r obprinting for marriages, birtbs, funerals 
anb otber family events, etc. etc. (s*:©*^*: 

Printings for tbe trabe, artistic anb 
commercial purposes. — Works for pu* 
bite abministrations. — Xebgers anb ao* 

COUnt b k S . C^(^(^(^(^^(^^(^(^@%Q2 

^pccialit^ of placcarbs in cbromoUtbo* 
grapb$ for tbe trabe anb inbustrial pur* 

poses. ^^(^^^^^(^^^(^^(^®^ 

j©lack placcarbs, black anb white lettering 
after a new improved process, cbeaper anb 
more burable tbau tbe painteb ones. — 
printing of flDusiC after tbe (Serman 
system. ^^^^^^^^(^(^^(^(^ 

Portraits brawn on stone, in pboto^en* 
graving, in pbototppp etc. of all si3es. — 
Warranteb artistic probuctions. 

^boto^engravnng. — flibototgpg anb all 
printing processes baseb on photography, 
— /IDaking of cliches. — printing after tbe 
tbree colours process, ^oxoxoxox:®*;^ 



pSooftbinbing for common anb ricb books 
— framing of pictures of all kinbs. ©x®*: 

^3ZiZ3ZiZi£ 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 26 «*» 26 26 26 26 26 26 2626 26 *J^^SS^^^^^2^'r^ 
» < j* ..j* 'jf ♦ ♦ V V ♦ " ♦ " " V ▼ ♦ ♦ w w w ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ V V " • 'IX 



— 49 — 



Baptistery ;. At the entrance, two superb flat tomb- 
plates in brass (1409 and 1 5 1 8). The chapel (built 14.14) 
was badly restored (1840). 

A very interesting picture representing scenes out of 
the legend of S. Anne and S. Joachim. (Beginning of 
16 th century). 

Triptych by P. Poiirbus ( 1 5 5 9 ) representing the Lord's 
Supper. On the side pannels, Abraham and Melchise- 
dech, Elias under the juniper tree. On the backsides, 
S. Gregory's mass and the members of the h. Sacrament- 
confraternity for whom the triptych w r as painted. Dam- 
aged by the Gueux, the triptych was restored by the 
artist in 1 569. 

Two triptych-shutters by F. Poiirbus ( 1 608), SS. Cos- 
mas and Damian. 

Two others triptych-shutters, S. Martin and S. Bar- 
bara, with inscription and portraits of Martin van 
Hulendonck (+ 1625) and Barbara Beerblock (+ 161 3). 

A picture on w r ood, protected by a shutter hanging 
down from antique hinges: the Crucifixion, S. Catherine 
and S. Barbara. This picture which dates from i?8o- 
1400, is very interesting ; the draperies seem to have 
been painted with oil colours unless some restoration 
by a later artist have to account for them. The pannel is 
a typical work of the old Bruges school prior to the 
van Eycks. 

North transept. Stained glass window, the tree of 
Jesse, by H. Dobbelaere (1874). 

The great pictures by John van Orley, to be seen 
here and elsewhere in the church, belonged to the 
S. Donatian's church; they were painted about 1725, 
as models for the tapestries which adorn the choir on 
great festivals. 

A tripartite pannel showing scenes of the Passion, by 
L. de Deyster ( 1 656?- 171 1). 

The prophet Elias under the juniper tree, by the 
same (about 1 680). 

S. Jerom, by P. Rycx (1644). 



— 5o — 



S. Lievin martyred, attributed to Tlx. van Tulden 

(1607- 1 686). 

The Shoemakers' chapel, built in 1372, enlarged 
between 1418 and 1424. Remarkable fence of the second 
half 1 5 th century. The crucifix on the altar is a relic of 
the Eeckhoute Abbey and dates from the 14 th century. 

A series of beautiful tombs in brass plates : 1) the best 
of them is the tomb of Walter Coopman (+ 1387) ; 

2) of Martin de Visch, seigneur de la Chapelle (+1453); 

3) of Master James Schelewaerts (+1483) doctor in theo- 
logy of the Paris university and rector of St-Saviour's ; 
he is represented giving a theological lecture in the 
university of Louvain; 4) of Adrian Bave, burgomaster 
of Bruges (engraved about 1 555). 

S. Antony's miracle, by J. van Oost the elder, a copy 
oivan Dyck (Museum of Lille). 

Stained glass windows by H. DobbeL\ere (1861). 

North-side Ambulatory. On the left, a triptych, the 
Schepherds' adoration, attributed to Ant. Claeissins 
(1 5..- 16 1 3). Above the confessional and above the rood- 
loft door, two pictures of van Oost the elder. 

First chapel, built (1495-96), fenced in (i5i3). Life-' 
size likeness cut out in wood, of blessed Charles the 
good, count of Flanders and martyr ; repainted (1609). 

— The old reredos (017) opposite the altar is the 
oldest extant monument of the Renaissance in Bruges. 

— A fragment of the tomb of W. van Halewijn, lord of 
Uitkerke, (+ 14 th May 1455). — A pretty stained glass 
window by Bethune-d Ydewalle (1869.) 

Second chapel, belongs to the series of buildings which 
date between 1480 and i53o; fence (1517). A poor 
stained glass window by J.~F. Pluys (1848). — Above 
the altar, S. Bernard kneeling before the Madonna. — 
On the background scenes out of the life of that saint 
by Ant. Claeissins ( 1 5..- 1 6 1 3). 

Apsis. (1488- 1 53o). The chapels are the work of the 
celebrated John van de Poele. Some of the recently 
added stained glass windows are but poor of style and 
imperfect in the colours. 



— 5r — 

First apsidal chapel. On the altar a reredos of the 
end, of i 5 th century: the middle pannel carved in wood, 
painted and gilt, represents the genealogy of S. Ann. 
On the side-pannels painted about i 545 ,S. Giles, three 
sainted bishops, conversion and consecration of S. Hu- 
bert, charity of S. Lucy, her immobility. — A reli- 
quary, containing the shrine of Charles the good, by 
Van Damme and Bourdon (1884) after the designs of 
Bethune- d ' Ydewalle. — A modern triptychshaped 
reliquary containing the tunic of S. Bridget, an Irish 
princess born in the Armagh diocese ; died 523. — 
The flight into Egypt, by J. van Oost the elder. — 
S. Joseph and the child Jesus at work, by the same. 
— A triptych; martyrdom of S. Hippolyte; leftside 
pannel, scene from his life ; rightside pannel, portrait 
of the donors ; Hippolyte de Berthoz and either his first 
wife Elisabeth de Keverswyck, or his second wife Elisa- 
beth Hugheins (after 16 th March 1494 n. s.); on the 
outside, grisaille paintings posterior to the year 1504: 
S. Hippolyte, S. Elizabeth of Hungary, Charlemagne, 
S. Margaret. This triptych formerly attributed to Mem- 
line, is of Thierry Bouts, who must have painted it 
shortly before his death (1475); the portraits of the 
donors would seem to be of Hugo van der Goes 
(+ 1482). A comparison with the martyrdom of S. Eras- 
mus (in Louvain) asserts the claims of Bouts. — Another 
triptych, by Ant. Claeissins (1609), represents the 
Taking down from the Cross, with portrait of Charles- 
Philippe de Rodoan, 4 th bishop of Bruges, and pictures 
of Charlemagne and S. Philip by Antoine Claeissins 
(1609). — Monument of John Carondelet, archbishop 
of Palerma (1 544). 

Second apsidal chapel, chapel of the h. Cross. The 
altar (1893) has an oaken reredos, with inserted pictures, 
about i63o, in the Claeissins 1 style, being busts of 
the Saviour and the B. Virgin. The higher part shows 
groups of the Passion, in wood, gilt and polychromed, 
relics of an ancient reredos of the i5 tb century, the gift 
of M. Van Huerne. — Stained glass windows by Grosse- 



— 52 — 



De Herde (1898). Six medallions from the Teredos of 
the altar of O. L. of seven dolours, attributed to 
Fr. Franck (1 581-1642). — Behind the altar, a recess 
in the wall had, before the fire of 1889, a representation 
of the Lord's Sepulcre. 

Third apsidal chapel, or chapel of the blessed Sacra- 
ment, At the entrance, left side, a funeral monument 
(1620) of Janus Lernutius, Justus Lipsius' friend and 
author of a latin life of Charles the good. — Right 
side, a copper basso-relievo, the Burial of our Lord, by 
P. Wolfganck (about 1 5 35). — Laterial stairied glass 
windows, of a superb style, by Bethune-d'Ydewalle, 
(1861). — At the bottom, idem by A. Verhaeghen 
(1876). — The white stone altar is the work of,/, van 
Nieuwenhuy^e, after the sketch oiBethune-a" Ydewalle , 
(1 873) polychromed in 1901. — Four small pannels : 
the Pascal Lamb, the Manna, David dancing before the 
Arch, the Disciples of Emmaus, attributed to Giles van 
Coninxloo ( 1 544- 1610) — Two copper crowns, suppor- 
ted by a pedicle, the work of Fonteyne, after the 
drawing of Bethune-d ' Ydewalle. 

Fourth apsidal chapel. The altar sculptured by 
J. van Nieuwenhuy\e ( 1 883, ) designed by Bethune- 
d' Ydewalle, polychromed, 1 90 r . — On the floor, a flat 
brass tomb of Bern, van den Hove (-f- 1527). restored 
in 1 865. — A portrait (about i5oo) of Philip the fair, 
the founder of a confraternity of the seven dolours, 
wrongly attributed to Hugo van der Goes (he died - 
1482, and the prince was born at Bruges 22 nd June 
1478). — A Mater Dolorosa on gold, a broad imita- 
tion of a picture attributed to St Luke and belonging to 
the Ara cceli church in Rome. The picture signed 
J V (E?) (John van Eeck or van Eeckele ?) dates about 
1460 and cannot be of John van Eyck who died 1440. 
The picture is a smaller copy of Qiiinten Metsys (natio- 
nal gallery of London and royal museum of Brussels). 
— A picture of the Crucifixion, attributed to Fr. Franck 
(1581-1642) and having belonged to an ancient altar of 
the chapel. 



— 53 — 

Fifth apsidal chapel dedicated to Our Lady of 
Loretto, vaulted about 1 552. A badly executed tomb 
of Jean-Robert Caimo, i6 th hishop of Bruges (-f- 1775), 

— The temporary altar (1890) has a statue of the 
B. Virgin by Pepers (1730-1785), from the old S. Do- 
natian's church. — Three pictures representing the 
history of the Santa Casa (17 th century). — Our Lady 
of Loretto. — S. Agatha and S. Dorothy, by J. Maes 
(16. .-1677). 

Stainea 1 glass window, the first missionnaries in 
Flanders, by Jules 'Dobbelaere 1898. 

Southside ambulatory. S. Simon Stock receiving 
the Scapular from the hands of the B. Virgin, by 
Er, Qitellin the younger (1686). — A triptych : the 
Presentation; on the shutters, the Nativity and the 
Nuptials of the B. V. ; on the outside, S. Louis, 
S. Gudula and two other saints, attributed to J. van 
der Straete • (i536-i6i8). — The Assumption, attri- 
buted to van Baelen (16 th century). — Two pictures 
from the life of St Augustine, by Erasmus Queliin, 
(1666). 

South transept. A stained glass window : the 
prophets, the apostles, Christ with the emblems of his 
passion, by H. Dobbelaere (1870). — Three large 
paintings of van Orley, models for tapestry (see p. 49.) 

— The seven works of mercy ; three by J. van Oost the 
elder (1643), the four others by 'Josse de Laval (i55i). 

Chapel of S. Barbara, vaulted about 1 5 5 2 , fenced 
in between 1 5 1 6 and 1 5 3g . A triptych by P. Claeissins 
the younger (1609): Christ between Pilate and a soldier; 
on the shutters, John Montanus, abbot of the Eeck- 
houtte (-f- 1623), and his patron saint. — A poly- 
chromed alto-relievo, the enthroning of a bishop 
( 1 5 th century). — The Virgin with St Luke and St Eli- 
gius, by Lanceloot Blondeel, whose likeness is preserved 
in the person of St Luke (1545). — A small triptych 
(1664). The Virgin with the child who is presented 
w T ith a flower by an Angel. On the shutters, St Francis 
and the donor. — S. Eligius and a crowned hammer. 



- 5 4 - 



In the backscene, St Peter's church and the Castle 
S. Angelo of Rome. — The child Jesus, by J. van Oost 
the elder. — Martyrdom of S. Godelieve, by the same. 
— Death of the B. Virgin, attributed, wrongly we think, 
to /. Schoreel (1495-1562). It is a replica of Hugo van 
der Goes (14..- 1482) ; the original is to be seen in the 
Academy. — Christ taken down from the Cross, on 
gauffered gold (about 1480). falsely attributed to Hugo 
van der Goes, (-f- 1462). — A small triptych, quite 
remarkable : The Presentation, w r ith donor and his 
patron saint. About 1 5 r 7-2 r . We believe this to be of 
the same artist who painted O. L. of seven dolours (in 
the church of Notre Dame), which has been attributed 
to the pseudo Mostaert, of Waagen ; perhaps it is of 
Adr. Ysenbrant, a pupil of Gerard David. 

South sidewall. Observe the following pictures : 
1 ) The institution of the blessed Rosary, by Nicolas 
Liemaeckere (1 575-1646). 2) Christ crucified on the 
Calvary, and other scenes of the Passion, the work of 
an unknown master (about i5oo), formerly attributed to 
Gerard van der Metre (1 6 th century). 3) The resurrec- 
tion by P. Claeissins the younger ( 1 585). 4) (above the 
south gate) Consecration of S. Eligius, G his lain Vroi- 
Ivnck, 1 62 1.. — A holy water vessel of blue stone (about 
i5oo). — A very beautiful false window. — Other 
pictures : 1) Christ triumphing over Death and Hell, by 

van Oost the elder, \65y. 2) Magi worshipping, by 
Gerard Zegers (1 591-165 1) ; a reduced replica of the 
same is to be seen at Notre-Dame. 3) Magi worshipping, 
signed J. van Oost,/. 1642. (M. Weale says : painted 
by Abraham Janssens). On the wall at the bottom of 
the central nave, where the armorial bearings are of the 
bishops of Bruges (painted, 1875); 1) Christ crucified, 
with the Virgin, S. John and S. Francis, by J. van 
Hoecke ( 1 598- 1 65 1 } . 2) St Charles Borromeo minister- 
ing the viaticum to the plague-stricken at Milan, by 
Giles Backereel ( 1 572- 1 6..) 

The roodloft (Jube) is a heavy mass which com- 
pletely breaks the artistic unity of the church ; it were 



— 55 — 



better removed to S te -Walburge. This construction 
( 1676-82) took the place of a beautiful screen, the work 
of William Pike ( 1414- 1 5). — Observe a statue of the 
Creator by Artus Quellin theyounger (1682). 

The choir. Beautiful stalls of the i5 th century ; the 
canopy above them was taken off to make room for 
the scutcheons of the knights of the golden Fleece, who 
held here their chapter 3o th April 1478. They are deco- 
rated with statuettes ; those representing the works of 
mercy are very remarkable. — The altar, which spoils 
the apsis, dates from 1637-42. Observe in the reredos 
two beautiful heads of S. Peter and S. John by J. van 
Oost the elder. — The old stained glass windows re- 
* presented the twelve peers of France, which were taken 
away in 1739 ; the new windows are by Beihune- 
d 1 Ydewalle ( 1 867-72) . — At the altar sides, the mauso- 
leums of Henri-Joseph van Susteren (1742) and John- 
Baptist de Castillion, (1753) fourteenth and fifteenth 
bishops of Bruges. They are the work of H. Pulincx. 

— A recess in the altar contains relics of S. Maxim, 
S. Donatian and S. Eligius, also the head of S. John, 
bishop. 

Churchwardens' room. — Christ on the Cross w T ith 
three angels bearing the emblems of His Passion ; a 
fourth angel holds a crown above the head of the B. V. 
who is kneeling in front of the donor. The work is of 
the middle of the 1 5 th century and shows marks of 
Italian influence. — Shutters of a triptych (about 1490). 

— A portrait of Pierre de Cuenijnck, dean of the S. Sa- 
viour's chapter, by Peter Pourbus and another likeness 
of the same, at the age of 81 years, attributed to Peter 
Claeissins, (1609). — Two other portraits, one ot Peter 
Lootyns (dated 1 557), the other of Leonard Neyts (end 
of the 16 th century) ; the works of an unknown local 
artist. — Two pictures of P. F. Casteele (1694): the 
Annunciation and the holy Family. — An interior view 
of the church. (1671) Corn. Verhoeven (?). — The 
crosier of S. Maclou (6 th century) of ivory with gilt 
copper rings ; the scroll is a modern piece of work- 



— 56 — 

manship. — Leaden tablet on which is inscribed a 
short life of Gunhild (see p. 35) — A scroll of a crosier, 
representing S. Martial receiving the head of S. Valeria 
(Limoges work of i3 th century). — A terra-cotta mosaic, 
representing the head of the B. Virgin (14 th century). — 
A bishop's mitre of about 1400. — An ivory «porte-paix» 
(about i5oo). — A copper Madonna (16 th century). — 
A small bell (1527). — Two copper offertory basins 
(16 th century). — Small holy water bucket of cast 
copper (16 th century). — Letters of indulgences with 
miniatures ( 1 5 1 4). — A frame holding a piece of poetry 
written on parchment, with miniatures ( 1 5 th century). 
— Some beautiful manuscripts, a few of which are 
ancient books of song. — A silk embroidered mantle • 
( 14^ century), once a protection to St Bridget's tunic 
(see p. 35). — Some other embroideries etc. 

Vestry room, part of the buildings which date from 
1480-1530. — A monstrance of the 1 5 th century. Two 
acolyth's candlesticks ( 1 5 th cent.) — Three offertory 
plates (i6 ,h cent.) — A velvet brocade cope green and 
gold (end of i5 th cent.) — Velvet brocade chasuble with 
dalmatic and tunic, crimson and gold, with embroidered 
fringe (2 lld half 16 th cent.) — A red velvet cope with 
flowers etc. (i55i), restored 1890. 

The Cathedral has eight large tapestries, made in 
Brussels by van der Borght, after paintings by J. van 
Orley, (early years of 18 th century), which are exhibited 
in the choir at some grand festivals such as Easter, 
Whitsuntide and about Corpus- Christif east and during' 
the whole month of. May and the larger part of June 
(see p. 49 and 53). 

The silver shrine of S. Donatian was made in the 
17 th century, partly from an older one of the i3 th cen- 
tury ; to this belonged the statuette of an angel with 
enamelled wings, a madonna and two pricked figures 
of saints, precious stones, filigrees and flowers. (The 
relics of S. Donatian, bishop of Reims, were given 
(840 or 841) to our count Baldwin I, by Ebbo, one of 
the saint's successors. 



- 5 7 - 



The large silver shrine of S. Eligius (1612) is a meri- 
torious work of John Crabbe, the same who made the 
shrine of the H. Blood. 

A shrine in black wood, adorned with chiselled silver 
plates and figures of S. John Chrysostom (1600). 

It is to be hoped there may soon be constructed in 
one of the apsidal chapels, a relic-holder, to exhibit all 
the relic treasures of the church, as was done in the 
middle ages. 



R 



> ^GCpiscopal Balace.^ 

ue du St. Esprit; office hours 9-12. A. M. and 
2-5, P.M. 

<| Oubenbunj street (see p. 14), | 



J (rue bu TTieuj Boitvg.l 

t o 3 

Observe the group of beautiful houses, the seat of 
the trades-union Gilcie der Ambachten, restored 
189D-96. 



I Tbe XHuseum of tbe « Hospices ctv>ils » t | 

Rue des Chartreuses (south side of Oudenburg street), 
has many interesting things of ancient art. 

Besides several works of the two J. van Oost, we 
have here two portraits by P. Pour bus ; a diptych 
(n. 84), perhaps of John Provost; an Annunciation of 
the 1 5 th century, in gray camaieu ; several portraits of 
the 16 th century; Christ at dinner in the house of Simon 
the leper, the work perhaps of Albert Bouts and a copy 
of his father's painting which belongs to M r Ad. Thiem 
of San-Remo ; several parinels attributed to the Pour- 
bus' the Claeissins' etc. 



— 58 — 



There is also a rich collection of chests, presses, 
statues and knick-knacks of the 14 th to the 17 th century. 

Notice a collar of suns and roses, from which hangs 
a white lion, a decoration of the house of York, taken 
from the tomb of Sir Josse de Bui, 1488. Josse de Bui, 
the founder of S. Josse's Hospital, « rue des Baudets », 
received this decoration from Edward IV, as a remem- 
brance of the hospitality proferred to Lord Scales, the 
brother-in-law of king Edward, and to other english 
noblemen, from the i3 th January till 19 th Febr. 1471. 
(See p. 38.) 



Simon Stevun's square. 

A brass statue, by Simonis (1846), of the celebrated 
mathematician Simon Stevin, who is believed to be 
a native of Bruges (1548) and died in Holland (1620). 




)£> BLue bes Kierres, (Steenstraat)- < 

I & 

In this beautiful street are to be seen several very inte- 
resting gables. Observe the old Masons house, C 29, 
which dates from 1621 and is one of our architectural 
jewels from the second period of the Renaissance 
(1614-1700). It was restored in 188 5. Also, the old 
Shoemakers' house, D 40, built in 027, restored in 
1892 ; it is a pity that the restoration of the lower part 
was not better planned. 



^Harftet square, (0rant>';6lace). 



The ground has been raised 35 centimeters since the 
year 1290. Formerly on the eastern side there stood 
the Waterhalle built (1 285) as a warehouse alongside 
the Reie (actually vaulted). Rebuilt in 1 366-99, it w r as a 



- 5 9 - 

central market for broadcloth, of which more than a 
thousand pieces were sometimes sold in a single day.. 
The building was completely demolished in 1787 ; 
and a new building raised, which was burnt down 
(20 th Febr. 1878). On the same spot stands now the 
provincial Government house, built of white stone by 
L. Dela Censerie and R. Buycfe, but yet unfinished !!! 
The red brick building to the south, built by the same, 
in the old local style, is the Post-office, the upper stories 
of which are the 



Heposttor^ of our local state^papers, 



Avery important one. The inventory of old records, 
down to the year i5oo, was undertaken by our re- 
cord-keeper M. L. Gilliodts-van Severen, and is a 
perfect work in its way, comprising six volumes in-4 , 
besides one introductory volume, and two of contents, 
with an excellent Glossary by M r Ed. Gailliard. In the 
record -rooms are kept : a portrait, the only one extant, 
of the celebrated Dordrecht preacher, brother Cornells 
Adriaenssen, by Hubert Golt\ius (1573); — some 
« swords of justice », old seals and moulds, engraved 
copperplates, a few sheets of works printed here by 
John Brito, the inventor of typography, etc. 

Observe the old Hotel de Bouchoute, a redbrick 
building at the corner of the rue St-Amand, D. i3. The 
hollow copper globe, of half a metre diameter, on the 
top of the house, was placed there in i83g to serve as a 
gnomon for determining the meridian line, marked in 
white stones through the grey pavement of Market- 
square. 

Cranenburg house (nowadays an inn) w r as the place 
where Maximilian, king of the Romans, was, by the 
citizens of Bruges, kept a prisoner from the 5 th to the 
17 th of February 1488. 



— 6o — 

In the middle of the market-square, notice the monu- 
ment of Breidel and De Conine isee p. 29), the work of 
De Vigne and Dela Censerie, which was inaugurated, 
amidst great festivities, in the presence of H. M. the 
King and the royal family (1 5 th Aug. 1887). 



^crp Tbe Rail an& its Belfu^. 

Were built before 1248, on pile-works, on the filled- 
up bed of the Boterbeke, near its confluent with 
the Reie. The buildings were much altered during the 
second half of the 16 th century, the lower windows 
alone having preserved the original style. Observe how 
the architect has contrived by a slanting direction of the 
walls, in harmony with the lines of the market-square, 
to give to the wiiole a regular appearance and produce 
an optical illusion as if everything were square. 

The original building had two wings, between which 
stood the belfry, of brick masonry, with a wooden 
campanile. The campanile fell a prey to the flames in 
1280, and the bells fell down through the vault of what 
was at that time the record-room. The work of restoring 
and rebuilding begun in 1282 w r as finished, it is believed, 
in 1296, and new bells hauled up in 1294-99. 

Since that time, the tower has gone through many 
repairs and changes. Until the end of the i5 lh century, 
it had but two quadrangular stories, four side-turrets 
and a saddle-shaped roof, which bore, it is asserted — 
though without proofs — the giltcopper drake, now on 
the top of the belfry at Ghent. 

The four small turrets were rebuilt and the window- 
mullions renewed by the celebrated Jean van Oxide- 
naer.de in 1394-95. The dial was made and decorated 
with the arms of Austria when the clock w T as set a going 
in 1449-50. 

The octogonal part of the tower (or lantern) dates 
from 1482. A spire 45 feet high was added in 1483.-84, 



Great Speciality of Stations of the Cross in terra-cotta, 
Composition, stone and marble. — Groups, Statues of any 
of the Saints, monuments in bronze, marble, etc. 

Alois De Beule, Catholic art Sculptor 

21 . Qua! flu PoirtNeuf, GHENT (Belgium). 

Silver and Gold medals at the International Exhibitions of Antwerp and 
Amsterdam. — Highest Award at Brussels Exhibition 1897. The only 
Diploma of Honour awarded for Christian Sculpture. — Diploma of 
Honour at the Provincial Exhibition of Ghent 1899. 

Specimens and photographs, sent free upon application. 



Emile RENDERS 

FIRM ESTABLISHED i85o. 

ANTIQUITIES 

ARTISTIC OBJECTS 



The storerooms open 

from q a. m. to 3 p. m. 



3, rue des Receveurs, 3, 

— BRUGES. — 




THE HALL AND BELFRY. 



— 6i — 



according to a contract still extant, and carried a slatue 
of St Michael, i5 feet high, which had in its hand a 
cross with banner floating and trampled under its foot 
a drake, \6 feet long. Struck by lightning and burnt 
down (25 th Jan. 1493), the spire was rebuilt (1 502) in 
the then prevailing style and surmounted with the 
flemish Lion ; struck again and burnt in t 74 t , it was 
never rebuilt, but the lantern was finished off (1822) 
with the present balustrade whith was renewed in 1 90 1 . 
The tower has a total height of 80 metres and leans 
South-East, the deflection from the perpendicular being 
43 centimetres, and having remained such ever since it 
was noticed the first time. 

Above the entrance to the Belfry there stood of old a 



statue of the B. Virgin, which was pulled down by the 
french revolutionists. A new statue was erected in 18-19, 
but replaced recently by another, which had stood 
above the entrance gate of the hotel de Gruuthus'e, 
opposite the rue Neuve. This statue, with those of the 
Hotel de ville, of most of our ancient monuments, of 
bridges and street corners, were the reason why, from 
the middle ages down to the present day, Bruges was 
known as the Maria-stad (city of Maty ). 

The two wings were partly rebuilt and partly added 
in 1 325-90. They were again rebuilt and the south- 
gallery added in 1 56 1 -66. The ground-floor of the left 
wing, now the Museum of Antiquities, was the grocers'- 
market (Kruudhalle), where count Louis de Nevers, 
captured at Courtrai by the citizens of Bruges, was 
kept a prisoner during 25 weeks, in r 325 . 



as its entrance on the market-square ; ring for the 



1 1 porter at his lodge in the courtyard. The Museum 
is open daily ; entrance fee 5o cent 55 , free admittance 
on Sundays from 1 1 A. M. till 1 P. M. The Museum 
contains many miscellaneous relics- of antiquity ; it 




(Huseum of Hnttquittes, 





was founded in 1 865 and is still administered by a 
private society ; its destined place is the hotel Grunt- 
huse, which was bought to that end by the municipality 
(1873); various reasons, however, have till now checked 
the progress of its restoration. 



Persons wishing to make the ascension pay a fee 
of 25 cent s \ the porter. At the second story 
there is a vaulted room, called Secreet Comptoor (secret 
office), which has in the wall two recesses, rebuilt 
in 1524, very remarkable for their eight iron doors, 
which date from 1292. Behind these were two chests 
with iron braces, which contained the charters of 
the city and of the trades-unions, together with the seal 
and counterseal of the municipal board. The ten locks 
are to be seen in the Museum of Antiquities ; the 
board of aldermen, the headman of S fc John's section, 
and the eight deans of corporations had each of them 
one of the different keys. 

The great bell, in the lower part of the tower, was 
cast for the church of Notre- Dame in 1680 and christ- 
ened under the name of Mary. Its w r eight is 12,295 
pounds. It was taken down from the spire of N.-D. and 
was to be sent to Paris, in the early years of the last 
century, but found its way into the Belfry where it was 
rung the first time, on the 3o th of March 1802, to cele- 
brate the treaty of peace between England and France. 

A spiral staircase of 402 steps will take you to the 
campanile, whence a splendid sight is got westwards 
on the sea ; and, as you turn round, you may see 
Ghent, Courtrai and Dixmude. 

The first chimes dated from 1299. The present ones 
have 49 bells; most of them were cast in 1743; a big 
copper cylinder, cast in 1748, sets them in motion every 
quarter of an hour; the municipal chimer plays them 
on Sundays, Wednesdays and Saturdays (see p. 8). 



— 63 — 



x^d Tbe Blu ' 9, 1 

Was a quadrangular stronghold built about 865 
by Baldwin I, and protected by heavy walls 
which were still extant in i 127. The North- and East- 
ditches have long been filled up. The Reie, which was 
on the west side, has been vaulted and the south-ditch 
alone is to be seen nowadays. 

The Burg had four gates and four bridges. One may 
yet notice the bolt-holes of some of the locks at the 
Police court, rue de l'Ane aveugle. Legally the Burg 
was the count's property where he had his own palace 
as well as his private chapel, now the S. Basil's church, 
and a hall for the aldermen, deputed by him for the 
government of the city. In i3o2, as a consequence of a 
more democratic form of government, the seat of mu- 
nicipal offices w T as transferred to the Market-square 
and the Halle. 

One might here compare successive styles of archi- 
tecture. The lower chapel of the H. Blood is of the 
i2 lh century; the Hotel de ville, of the 14 th ; the outer 
walls of the chapel of the H. Blood, of the i5 th and 
16 th (gothic style) ; the old record- office, at our left, 
is of the first Renaissance; turning round, the provost's 
house of S l Donatian, at the corner of the rue Breidel, 
is of the 17 th century; the Court of Justice represents^ 
the 18 th century; opposite this, the block of houses, 
erected on the seat of the old Steen (which had been 
built for a jail in 1340) dates from the first half of the 
19 th century, whilst the provincial government-house 
shows at its best the skill of our civil engineers, 
about i860. 

On that part of the Burg, which is now planted 
with trees, stood the old collegiate church of S 1 Dona- 
tian, which had become our cathedral church in \55g 
and was sold and demolished under the french domi- 
nation in 1799. 



- 6 4 



Hotel be vnlle. @x 

Was built on the site of the old Ghiselhmis of Bald- 
win I, which had become the Scepenhuus (court of 
aldermen). The first stone was laid ( i 3j6 ] by count Louis 
de Maele; the frontage w T as finished in i B87, but the 
work of polychroming it had been begun in 1379. 

All the statues which decorated it were pulled down 
by the French (1792), heaped up together on a huge 
stack of firewood on the Market-square and burnt to 
ashes. In 1 85 3 a new statue of the B. Virgin took the 
place of the old statue of N.-D. d'Ardenbourg. In 1854 
a restoration was begun, which will have to be undone 
again, on account of the bad quality of the stone ; the 
new statues also are of an inferior style. 

The interior fittings of the building were much alte- 
red in 1766, but brought back to their former shape in 
189D, by M. L. Dela Censerie. The old aldermen s hall 
is at the upper story. The corbels (1397-92) represent 
the twelve months of the year. The vault was painted 
and gilt in 1404, the key stones represent biblical scenes 
and figures of saints ; it has been recently restored. The 
late Albrecht de Vriendt (+ 1900) w 7 as painting for this 
hall a series of historical subjects ; his work, as far as it 
is completed, is very beautiful and is to be finished after 
his designs by his brother. The stained glass windows, 
which date from 1867, are to make room for others 
which, it is hoped, will recall the good old style without 
any compromising with modern fashion. 

The Hotel de Ville has a portrait of the english king 
Charles I, and some paintings concerning Charles II 
(see p. 39). 

SjC 



D^Tbe oli> recorl>0ffice (Hncien oreffe 



W 



as the second building here in the Renaissance 
style ( 1 535-37). The first (1495) was the Biscayen's 



— 65 — 



hotel of which nothing is left. The frontage had been 
much spoiled by the action of time, when the French 
completed the sad havoc, pulling down the statues (the 
work of Giiillaume Aerts) and smashing the sculptured 
busts and scutcheons. Its restoration was completed in 
1 88 r , and the parts which had been polychromed in 
1537, w r ere redecorated according to the original design, 
as far as could be ascertained from the traces left. The 
walls are crowned with ten statues of gilt brass (1884). 
The lower flat, now the seat of the Justice of peace, 
well deserves a visit ; the hall is tastefully decorated 
and has a doorway which dates from 044 and is attri- 
buted to Lanceloot Blondeel. It has also a painting of 
P. Pourbus, showing the old Abbey des Dunes. 



01 



Court of tDTustice, jp^" 

A heavy building (1722-27) on the site of the old and 
splendid Palais du Franc, which had succeeded 
(1434-40) the still older Loove, or count's palace (the 
work of Baldwin I, restored after a fire, by B. Charles 
the good.) 

The remarkable thing to be seen here is the famous 
Chimney : 



Cbhnnej? of tbe JJranc. 



For which apply to the porter at the bottom of the 
yard. The entrance fee is 5o cent s each ; for schools 
or societies, fee as per agreement. The chimney is in the 
old aldermen's hall of the Guild [Franc de Bruges), and 
was made after the drawings and under the direction of 
Lanceloot Blondeel. The body of the chimney, a man- 
tlepiece resting on two pillars of ornamental gothic style, 
is of black Dinant marble and is the work of Guyot de 
Beaugrant (029) — The alabaster frieze, with the four 
Genii at the angles and the upper moulding, is of the same 



— 66 — 



artist and shows the history of Suzanna. — The higher 
portion, of oak, (i52g-3i), is a memorial of historical 
events following on the battle of Pavia ( i 5 2 5 ) which 
brought about the treaty of Madrid ( 1 326) confirmed by 
the Paix des Dames (treaty of Gambrai 1529) and put 
an end to the sovereignty of France over Flanders. In 
the middle of the forefront, is the statue of Charles V, 
as count of Flanders, bearing the badge of the Golden 
Fleece. The throne shows the portraits of his father 
and his mother (Philip the fair and Jane the silly); 
on the back of the throne are medallions of Charles de 
Lannoy, the conqueror at Pavia, and Margaret of 
Austria, the emperor's aunt, who negotiated the treaty 
of Cambrai. On either side of the throne are the columns 
of Hercules, w r ith the arms of all the emperor's king- 
doms ; further on, sixteen scutcheons with the arms 
of his ancestors. On the pilasters, at the corners of 
the forefront, are medallions of Francis I, and Eleonora 
of Austria, the emperor's sister, whose marriage was 
to be, as it were, a seal on the treaty. On the pannel 
at the right side of Charles V, are the statues of Maxi- 
milian and Mary of Burgundy, his paternal grand- 
parents; on the other, statues of Ferdinand of Aragon 
and Isabelle of Castille, his maternal grand-parents. 

The chimney, formerly polychromed and gilt, has 
been restored in i85o by Charles Geerts of Louvain. 

In the same building are the S r ate- papers . The inven- 
tory of charters and registers was published in 1881-84. 
The keeper Mr. J. Colens, is always ready cheerfully to 
help those whom the love of science brings to rummage 
amidst the precious stores. (Open from 9 A. M. to 12. 
Entrance by the yard of the Court of Justice). 



t||| Toe Bols BlcoD. ||^| 

The sanctuary of the H. Blood, consisting of two 
superposed chapels, stands on. the right side of the 
Town-House. The gateway is a very delicate work of 



- 6 7 - 



blue stone ; it was built in i 52g-33 together with the 
frontage of the next building on the northside, which 
was the record-office of the court of justice. Both were 
repaired in 1893. 

The two turrets (a third one, the most beautiful, 
w r as demolished in 1 832 and ought to be rebuilt), date 
from the second half of the i5 th century and have 
wrongly been supposed to belong to the roman style. 

The lower chapel. In 1095, count Robert II, of 
Jerusalem, brought from the Holy Land the relics of 
S 1 Basil, bishop of Neo-Cesarea. Half a century later, 
count Thierry of Elsas and his wife Sibyl of Anjou 
built this lower chapel in honour of that glorious Doctor 
of the Church, and appointed four chaplains to it. It 
was consecrated in 1 1 5o ; at the french revolution it was 
suffered to fall into ruins and the relics of S 1 Basil were 
transferred to S. Saviour's church. They were brought 
back to the restored chapel in 1897. 

To this first building, the restoration of which was 
completed in 1896, belong the choir and the nave with 
its backparts which had been finished, as well as the 
foreparts which had been left in an unfinished and 
rough condition. The basso-relievo representing the 
Baptism of Christ, in this latter part of the chapel, dates 
likewise from the middle of the 12 th century. 

Under the pavement of the central nave, was found 
in 1875, the tomb of Jean van Audenaerde ; next to it 
to the South was found an empty tomb painted and 
now covered with a moveable slab. The northern 
chapel, which juts out on the Bourg, was built in i5o3 
for the clercks of the Court of justice; its altar-screen, 
after a design of Lanceloot Blondeel (i53o), has still 
its polychromy but lost its statuets ; it shows also some 
ancient consoles which had been put up in the choir 
during the 16 th century. 

The upper chapel was built at the same time with 
the lower one, as can be shown from the spiral stair- 
case in the south-west corner, and from the arcades 



— 68 — 



between the nave and the chapel of the H. Cross, in the 
upper story, which belong to the 1 2 th century. 

In 1 3 1 i , the building underwent extensive repairs, 
was embellished and more amply provided with church- 
furniture, as we find from the city-records. The upper 
chapel was again reconstructed in the i5 th century and 
was not yet finished in [482. The following year, w r as 
put the first stained glass window, which represents 
Philip the fair and his wife. The lateral chapel (of the 
H. Cross) received a bell-turret and was reconstructed 
again in 1672. 

At the french revolution the whole building was a 
heap of ruins. The work of restoration, largely paid for 
by private subscriptions, was begun in 1819 ; and the 
Noble Confraternity of the precious Blood continues 
still the work of embellishment, guided therein by a 
true artistic taste. 

Pictures, windows etc. Before entering the chapel, 
we had formerly, at our left, doors beautifully or- 
namented with enamelled glass medallions, some of 
them dating from the i5 th and 16 th centuries, which 
are now partly to be seen in the Museum of the Chapel, 
and partly adorn the door of the Churchwardens'Room. 
Seven windows, by J. F. Pluys, (1846-47) pretendedly 
after the coloured designs of the ancient windows of 
1542, represent the dukes of Burgundy ; they show but 
a poor technical merit. Two other windows, by the 
same artist, after his own original designs, represent 
Albert and Isabella, Francis I and Mary-Teresa. — The 
large western window, representing scenes of the Pas- 
sion, is the work of J. B. Capronnier ( 1 8 56) . 

Chapel of the H. Cross. Paintings of J. van Oost 
the elder (1649), ^« de Craeyer (!) and Cornells Cels. 
— Observe the altar and its silver furniture (middle of 
18 th century). Also three stained glass windows : one 
very beautiful, by Bethune ( 1 858) represents S. Longi- 
nus and S. Veronica ; two others, by H. Dobbelaere 
(1869) represent S. Charles Borromeo with S. Helena, 



- 69 - 



and S. Joseph with S. John the Evangelist. The scenes 
at the bottom show how the costly relic of the H. Blood 
was saved from the Gueux and the French Iconoclasts : 
Perez de Malvenda hides it in his house (1578) ; 
Charles-Enee Baron de Croeser, burgomaster of Bruges, 
applies for the reestablishing the worship (1819); Bishop 
Malou hands over to messire van Hoobrouck de Moo- 
reghem, provost of the Noble Confraternity, the brief 
of Pius IX, granting the jubilee of i85o. 



2>f Tbe relic of tbe fit- Bloob, 



Bruges is believed to have had a relic of the H. Blood 
about the year io56. The one we worship now, 
was brought within our walls in 1 149. Its authenticity 
rests on the most solid ground. Count Thierry d' Alsace 
received it, as a reward for his services in the 2 nd Crus- 
ade (1 147), from the Patriarch and the King of Jerusa- 
lem. He came back to Bruges (1 149), accompanied by 
Leontius, the abbot of S.-Bertin, whom he had appointed 
the keeper of the relic and deposited it in his beloved 
city of Bruges. It is still preserved in the original phial, 
and for a long time it was seen to become liquid and to 
bubble up on fridays. This miracle, which recalls 
what happens still at Naples on the feast of S. Januarius, 
ceased about the year 1 3 2 5 ; it however took place again 
in 1 388, when the Bishop of An cone transferred the 
phial into the new reliquary, a cristal cylinder having 
at either end a golden crown with Angels, the same 
which still contains the relic and was restored in 1887 
by our local goldsmith M r Van Damme, 

The citizens of Bruges always held this treasure in 
great reverence. In 1297, when king Philip the fair was 
marching to the conquest of Flanders, a numerous de- 
putation was sent to him to beg he would leave them 
the precious relic. The promise was solemnly granted 
and put down in a charter dated from Inghelmunster 



September T297, anc ^ preserved in the local ar- 
chives (charter n° 102). — During the religious distur- 
bances, the relic was preserved by Don Juan Perez de 
Malvenda (20 th March 1578) and successively hidden 
from the Gneux in various houses. The same was done 
in 1797. The public worship was not reestablished 
before 1819. 




fr| i*@ Ifestt^ room. 

The small shrine, in which the relic is exposed to 
public veneration on ordinary circumstances, is a 
very fine work, of octogonal shape, the gift of archdukes 
Albert and Isabella (160); 



j/Q XHuseum. ©*;©*<: 




no 

A triptych, the Deposing Christ from the Cross, is a 
work of great value, attributed by M. Weale to 
Gerurd David (about 020), by others to an unknown 
master who must have felt the influence of Gerard 
David and Qirinten Metsys, and whom, for conveni- 
ence's sake, we call the master of the H. Blood. — A 
pannel of the i5 tb century, bought at Gent, wrongly 
attributed to Memlinc, represents two scenes of some 
unknown legend. — A triptych, (i520-i53o): Christ 
carrying His Cross, Christ crucified, Christ arising 
from His tomb. — A pannel (about i5oo) showing in 
various compartments the Holy Trinity and scenes 
from the life of Our Lord and His Blessed Mother. — 
Two shutters of an ancient altar polyptich, by Peter 
Pourbus ( 1 556), showing the members of the Noble 
Confraternity of the H. Blood and its clerk. The por- 
traits are considered some of the best paintings of this 
celebrated portrait-painter. — A lace-veil representing 
the Reliquary of the H. Blood (1684). — Chasubles 
of reddish brown cloth with gold embroideries of the 



1 5 th and 1 6 th centuries. — Tapestry representing the, 
translation of the relics of S. Augustin (1637). 

Basso-relievos of hammered copper (17 th century.) — 
Medallions of carved oak ( 1 8 th century). — Miniatures. 
— Fragments of stained glass windows and medallions 
(i5 th , 16 th and 17 th centuries). — Alabaster basso relie- 
vos (17 th cent). — Offertory basin (16 th cent). — A copper 
censer (1 5 th cent.) 

The great reliquary. The original great gotbic 
reliquary was officially stolen by the Gueux in 1578 
and converted into ingots. The actual shrine was 
ordered of John Crabbe a goldsmith of Bruges in 1614 
and finished in 16 17. It is 1 m , 29 high and o m ,6i broad. 

The hexagonal base rests on six feet ; six fluted 
Corinthian pillars, ornamented with arabesques, carry 
the entablature which is surmounted by three turrets ; 
the middle turret carries a pelican* symbol of the 
H. Blood ; the others, statuettes of Our Lord, of the 
B. Virgin, of St Donatian, the patron saint of the 
Cathedral, the city and the diocese, and of St Basil, 
the patron-saint of the chapel. They are of solid gold* 
Between the pillars stands an hexagonal casket which 
contains the cylinder with the relic. The roof carries 
Christ on the Cross with the B. Virgin and St John. 
Under the canopy hangs a lovely crown of enamelled 
gold, which tradition asserts to have been the crown of 
Mary of Burgundy. Unfortunately some of the precious 
stones have been lost during our religious troubles and 
replaced by artifical imitations. 

The whole shrine has a medieval look though it 
belongs to the style of the Renaissance, and is a work 
of priceless value. 



€ Jfteast an& firocessioit. 

From time immemorial the feast of the H. Blood is 
celebrated during the fortnight beginning with the; 
third day of May. The procession which has been an 



- ?2 - 



established pageant ever since the i3 th century, wa§ 
officially recognized, in 1 3o3, as a memorial of the city's 
liberation from the french tyranny by Breidel and de 
Conine ; its date originally was the 3 d of May ; since 
1 78 1 it took place on the following Sunday ; but at the 
renewal of the worship paid to the H. Blood, in 18 19, 
the date was fixed on the first monday after the 2 nd day 
of May. The present itinerary of the procession dates 
from 1578 ; anciently it followed the whole circle of the 
city-walls. It is a justly celebrated pageant, the more so 
since biblical dramatized scenes have been introduced 
in 1900, from which year also the members of the noble 
confraternity have resumed the traditional gown. 

% : — y 

> Tbe Boost's Court (JlanbFnits). 4 



51 



Was the seat of the jurisdiction which the Provost 
of St-Donatian's chapter enjoyed over certain 
parts of the city, the Burg and adjacent streets. He 
was, since 1089, hereditary chancelor of Flanders, in 
which charge he was succeeded by the Bishop, on 
the erection of the Bishopric of Bruges in i55g. The 
building dates from 1662, and was erected after the 
plans of Frederic van Hillewerve, a canon of the then 
cathedral. It is of cut stone and belongs to the second 
period of the Renaissance, the pagan style of art being 
more servilely adhered to than in the old Greffe, 
which shows much originality and recalls the ancient 
local architecture. 



Look at the house B 7, close to the bridge, one of 
our architectural types (built 1 570, restored 1872). 
(See p. 25). — Observe the buildings of the Franc de 
Bruges. The house on the corner of the rue de VAne 



7 3 - 



aveugle, dates from 1608. The adjacent buildings, 
crowned with turrets, were begun in 020 by the 
celebrated John van de Poele. The whole block shows 
a most picturesque view ; add thereto the placid water, 
the green foliage of the trees and the steep ridges of 
two stone bridges and you may understand why land- 
scape painters do cherish the spot. 



>t._, 

.5 (fiuosenboebftaai.) Gnat fcu BLosaire. ' 

p| : 

A splendid view of the H. Blood chapel and the pro- 
vincial government house. Notice the house B 7, 
the lodge of corn-carriers, built 1637, restored 1892. — 
Going on along the Dijver to the Gruuthuse hotel, 
notice on your right hand some beautifully restored 
gables, the work of Mr Chas. de Wulf. 



Hotel ©niutbuse. 



rhe original Gruuthuus was from the beginning ot 
the 1 5 th century, the place where taxes were taken 
on malt. The frontage looking on the canal dates from 
about 1420, and the whole of that side, excepting the 
small gable at the left, with was built about 1470, was 
completed before 1448. (See p. 25). 

The present Hotel Gruuthuse was erected for the 
celebrated Louis of Bruges, Lord of Gruuthuse. The 
construction was undertaken in 1465 or so and comple- 
ted in 1470. To this period belongs the northern fron- 
tage next to the church of Notre Dame ; it is of brick 
and stone and shows yet its garret- windows, its galle- 
ries on the roof, its stately staircase and elegant turret, 
a long time ruinous but now restored ( 1894^. In 1471-72 
the hotel was made to communicate with the adjoining 
church, and the nice little tribune was built which we 



are soon to visit. In 1482-83, other buildings were 
erected at the corners of the rue de Gruuthuse ' and 
along the rue de Groentnghe. At the corner of this 
street and the Dijver, was the office of the tax-gatherer. 

The whole of those buildings became the property of 
the town in 1875, and is being skilfully, though some- 
what thoroughly restored. It is only to be. pitied that 
both the upper stories have been preserved above the 
ground floor ; originally there was but one and there 
was not the present disproportion between the garret- 
windows and those of the upper story. Here it was 
that Louis de Gruuthuse collected his famous library, 
the richest private library of the time, next to that 
of the Burgundian dukes. Here also he entertained as 
his guest king Edward IV of England (see p. 38). 

Gruuthuse museum ; a splendid collection or lace, 
the gift of baronness Augusta Liedts. Entrance fee 
5o cent s ; open from 9 A. M. till 1 P. M. and from 
2 P. M. till 4 in the winter and 6 in the summer. The 
illustrated catalogue is sold at the Museum. 



Tbe Gbureb of Our Jlaby. 




Has for its patron-saint Boniface, an englishman, 
formerly called Winfrid, who died bishop of 
Maintz. and who is believed to have built a chapel on the 
site of which was begun the present construction (880); 
'it was first under the jurisdiction of the bishop of Utrecht 
and became a collegiate church in 1091, when it was 
transferred to the see of Tournay, after a long series of 
negociations, wherein Pope S.Gregory VII had his part. 

Burnt down in iu6, the church was rebuilt and, 
with the munificent help of B. Charles the good, count 
of Flanders, the work completed in 11 20. The side 
aisles were rebuilt again from 1 1 80 to ii85, from 
which time also dates the old porch, which was poly- 
chromed and was demolished before 1 5^2. The choir 




PORTICO OF THE CHURCH OF O. L. (Het Paradifs), (Seep. 76.) 



was achieved about 122 5 ; both works, different in 
style but nobly conceived, were done, we believe under 
the direction of an architect of the Tournay school. The 
western frontage had two cylindrical turrets, decorated 
with little columns, and a triple « lancette » with a 
gallery running above it. The present large window 
dates only from the 1 5 th or 16 th century. Some flying 
buttresses of the i5 th century are left, but those of the 
apsis are mutilated. 

In January 1898, a beginning was made with the 
work of restoration and some of the parasitical build- 
ings demolished, bringing out the ancient form of the 
porch ; but no progress has been made for the last four 
years ; let us hope the work will not take a quarter of 
a century. 

The northern collateral nave was built in 1344-60; the 
southern, in 1450-74. The adjunction of these two naves 
spoils entirely the church and the double series of 
pillars and buttresses is perfectly disgracious. 

The beautiful portico under the tower, called Het 
Paradijs, has been converted into a baptistery and 
much defaced ; it dates from the second half of the 
i 5 th century. 

The old cemetery is enclosed within iron railings 
after the designs of M r Chas. De Wnlf. 

The tower. Its lower or quadrangular part was 
finished in 1297; the spire was begun that same year 
and completed in i32o. The pinnacle having been da- 
maged by lightning in \5\g was rebuilt and decorated 
with an open-work crown of blue stone ; on the top was 
put a single flat stone, overhanging a foot and a half ; 
on this again masonry was raised thirty feet, and the 
whole crowned with a cross and a weathercock ( 1 5 34). 
In 1818, the upper structure was lowered dow T n more 
than fiftv feet, and in i853 the work of the reconstruction 
undertaken. The old weathercock, bearing the date of 
171 1, was put up again the i st of August 1 85 8 and a 
lightning-rod, the 4 th of August 1876. 



— 77 — 



From the pavement of the church to the weathercock, 
the height is 1 22 m 3o. The quadrangular part is yb m high. 
(Note that the spire of the church of Our Lady. Antwerp 
measures i 3o m above the level of the sea). — It is a pity 
that red brick was used in restoring the spire, whilst the 
lower structure is of yellow r brick ; nor are the ornamen- 
tal crockets and crown of a good style. The turrets at 
the four angles, demolished in 1760, were reerected in 
1872-73 together with the balustrade ; the work shows 
also little style and no proportions. 

Inside the church. Down from the 1 6 th century this 
church has suffered much ; it was whitewashed a first 
time in 089; in 1889 it received another decorative 
whitewash, which the present restoration will remove. 
In the 1 3 th century the roofing was left naked and ap- 
parent; the central nave was first vaulted in the 1 5 th cen- 
tury, and revaulted in 1768; the beautiful original 
triforium had been pulled down, its place being taken 
by ugly looking arcades. The arcades along the walls 
were filled up in the 16 th century, but some have recently 
been reopened and repaired. The old triforium is being 
reconstructed after the original plan, and partly with 
the old materials, found back in those arcades. So also 
the upper windows. The work done by M r Chas. De 
Wulf is very creditable. 

Works of art. — Above the N. W. door, Esther 
interceding for God's people, by L. De Deyster (1695). 

Lower side, north: on the wall, to the west, the Ado- 
ration and the child Jesus, by Gaspar de Craeyer{ \ 662). 
Pulpit (1743), after the design of/. A. Garemyn. 

At the gate of the tower was buried the celebrated 
painter Gerard David. The body lay under a blue 
flagstone bearing his arms and those of his wife 
Cornelia Cnoop. 

In the first nave, north side : Chapel of the three 
sainted women. John Breidel, son of John and grand- 
son of Michael, founded here a chaplaincy in 1370. 
The burying place of his family was before the entrance 



- 7 8- 

to the chapel. That John Breidel was not the famous 
hero of 1 3o2 ; those of that name who lay buried 
here were of a later date and of another branch of 
the family. — A white stone statue of the B. Virgin 
(about 1480). 

Chapel of the H. Cross (1473). A series of ten 
pictures showing the history of the relic of the 
H. Cross, which was presented to the Church of 
Notre-Dame, by Walter Uutenhove (1473), painted by 
Peter de Brune (1632-34). — A series of ten pictures 
of the Passion, by John- Antony Garemyn (1775-77) . 

— An ancient crucifix of about i5oo. 

In the ambulatory. First chapel, anciently called 
of the H. Trinity, dedicated in 1868 to the Sacred 
Heart. Some have mistaken this for the Breidel chapel 
(see p. 77). — An ancient balustrade, restored in 1868. 

— Four alto-relievos of the i5 th century, badly injured 
by the Gueux in 1579 ; restored and repainted in 1874. 

— A monument of J. de Baenst (about i5i5). Confes- 
sionals (1689). — Above the confessionals, a painting 
attributed to Carravaggio : the disciples of Emmaus. — 
The vocation of S 1 Matthew, by James van Oost the 
elder (1640). — Opposite those two paintings, the child 
Jesus in glory, by James van Oost the elder (1640.) 

Churchwardens' room\ this was anciently the S. Mar- 
garet chapel. Above the entrance, S l Thomas of Aquino 
girded by the Angels, a work of Gaspar de Craeyer 
(1644). — A stained glass window : J. de Baenst and his 
wife (about 020). — An almost complete collection of 
portraits of the provosts of the chapter. — An interior 
view of the church, about 1670, a most interesting help 
towards a future restoration of the church. 

The Gruuthuse tribune. The tribune communicated 
with the adjacent residence of the Gruuthuses and w T as 
erected in 1471-72 for Louis of Bruges, lord of Gruut- 
huse and his wife Margaret van der Aa. This jewel of 
the joiner's art well deserves our attention. We see here 
the device Plus est en vous, of the Gruuthuse family, 



79 - 



their arms and emblems, as also those of the van derAas, 
and the initials L. M. (Louis, Marguerite.) The wood 
has been happily divested of the varnish which disfi- 
gured it (1895). Notice, at the upper story, traces of 
ancient painted paper, stuck on the ceiling. 

Near the altar (1891), at the bottom, a triptych: 
Adoration of the shepherds, with gray painting on the 
shutters, one of the best works of Peter Pourbus ( 1 574). 
It was painted for the famous doctor-in-law, Josse de 
Damhouder, whose portrait is on one of the shutters. 
Above the altar, stained glass window by Bethune (\ 876). 

Chapel of the H. Sacrament, anciently of the B. Vir- 
gin, restored, refurnished and adorned with stained glass 
windows by Bethune ( 1 863). — Chantry of Paul van 
Overvelt (-j- 1483) and his wife (-\~ 1479). The tomb, 
which was a beautiful work, has been much damaged. 
Above the entrance, a painting by Antony Claeissins 
(1575), the dedication of the S. -Mary-Major church at 
Rome. — Altar of S. Anthony (1891) with stained glass 
window by Bethune (1874). 

The Lanchals chapel, the chapel of tombs. Single 
visitors pay a fee of 1 fr. ; two or more together, 
5o cent s each. The chapel w r as rebuilt in 1812-16. — 
The tomb of Peter Lanchals, knight, counsellor, cup- 
bearer and lord of the exchequer to Maximilian, and 
« escoutete » of Bruges, who was beheaded in 1488 for 
his loyalty to his prmce. 

The mausoleums of Charles the bold and his daugh- 
ter Mary of Burgundy stood, before the french revolu- 
tion, in the choir of the church. 

r : 1 

mausoleums of XHarg ot Burguu&g, |j 
5r ! an& of CCbaules tbe Bolb. ^ 

Designed at the command of Philip the fair and 
executed in black marble and gilt copper by Peter 
de Deckere, a goldsmith and metal founder of Brussels; 



— 8o — 



begun in .1495 or 1496 and completed in 002. The 
gilt copper statue of the princess is a marvel. The cor- 
nice shows the armorial bearings of all her domains ; 
the two lateral sides represent her thirty-two genealogic 
quarters ; the footside has her enamelled great escut- 
cheon and the headside, her epitaph. The whole work 
shows a grand conception, whilst for style and execution 
it surpasses all praise. The tomb was formerly protected 
with a wrought iron lattice, which is lost. 

The mausoleum of charles the bold is but a poor 
imitation of theabove; it wasdone(i 55g-62)in the Renais- 
sance style by James Jonghelinck, an Antwerp founder, 
Josse Aerts and John de S?net,stone cutters, after a design 
of Cornells Floris a native of Antwerp. The body of the 
unfortunate duke, which had first been interred at 
Nancy (1477) anc ^ brought over to the S. Donatian's 
church at Bruges, by order of Charles V (i55o), found 
at last its resting place in the choir ot Notre- Dame 
( 1 553) ; it was by Philip the second's command that the 
translation was done, and the mausoleum erected. 

In the same chapel : a picture of our Lady of the 
seven dolours, a work full of noble feeling of an unk- 
nown master, perhaps Adrian Ysenbrant, or some 
other pupil of Gerard David. The medallions remind 
us of some designs by Albert Diirer. The shutter is in 
the royal museum, Brussels, n° 1 14- 1 1 5. — A triptych, 
the Descent from the Cross, by an unknown artist 
(about (490). On the shutters, S. Mary Salome and 
S l Mary Cleophas ; on the background, the Crucifixion 
and the Resurrection ; on the outside, Josse van der 
Straeten, a franc-coiner (+ 1490) and Margaret van 
Reye, with their children, patron-saints and armorials. 
On the frame, a medallion represents God the Father 
in the act of blessing. It is to be hoped the name may 
yet come to light of the artist who painted this beauti- 
ful work. — Two triptych-shutters showing the por- 
traits of Remi Ommejaghere, Petronilla Heve and their 
children, by Peter Pour bus. 



— 81 — 



The ambulatory. A polychromed sculpture of about 
i5io, restored in 1882. — A wall-painting in water 
colours, (about 1 335), representing S. Louis king of 
France and remarkable for its delicate pencilling. — 
S.Margaret of Antioch, by James van Oost, the younger 
(1667). — The Adoration of the Shepherds by James van 
Oost, the elder (1646). — Here is also, for the time, a 
triptych, the central panne] of which, theTransfiguration, 
was painted about i52o in the studio of Gerard David 
and partly at least by him. The side pannels are of 
P. Ponrbns (1 573). 

Chapel in the south transept. On the altar, a white 
marble statue of our Lady with the Child, the work of 
Michael- An gelo Bnonarotti, given to this church by 
Jean Mouscron in 1 5 1 4. The work is probably anterior 
to the year i5oo, ; Albert Durer who visited this church 
the 8 th of April 1 52 1 , mentions the statue as being 
of Michael-Angelo. — At the sides of the altar, two 
candlebrackets of wrought iron by J. Ryckam of 
Ostend (about 1700). 

A pannel: the Last Supper, by Peter Pourbns,(i562), 
restored after the invasion of the Gueux ( 1 5 89) by Antony 
Claeissins. This work very deservedly enjoys a great 
reputation. . — A Procession of the B. Sacrament by 
Antony Claeissins, 1599. — Christ crucified, a copy of 
Van Dyck. 

South transept. A diptych of the end of the 1 5 th cen- 
tury, wrongly attributed to Henri de Bonvignes said 
de Bles and showing the Annunciation and the Adora- 
tion of the Shepherds, brightly coloured ; the person- 
nages, though otherwse carefully done, are too short 
of stature. The back of the pannel shows traces of 
older painting with outstanding nimbi. 

Second chapel : a triptych, the Virgin with Child, 
formerly attributed to Antony Claeissins but now to 
Nicolas van Thimen. — Another triptych of an un- 
known painter, (about 1 540), in the style of Holbein and 
showing also the Virgin with her Child, whom an 
Angel presents with fruit. 



- 82 — 



Third chapel : Mary Magdalen at Christ's feet, by 
D. F. Francken (1628). Against the old buttresses, 
S. Margaret, by J. van Oost, the younger, (1667). — 
Mystical nuptials of S. Catherine, by /. Maes. — Extasy 
of S. Druon, by J. B. Herregoudts (1712). — ...Rotten- 
hamer ( 1 598) . 

At the bottom of the nave, an old triptych having 
belonged to the high altar, showing the Crucifixion and 
scenes of the Passion ; was begun by Bernard van Orlejr, 
finished by Marc Gheeraerts (i56i), and restored by 
Francis Pourbus, the younger (1589). 

On the w^estside wall : Adoration of the Magi, by 
Gerard Zeghers (i5gi-i65i) ; this is the painter's best 
work, quite remarkable for its vigorous colouring and 
harmonious lines. (See p. 54.) 

Vestry Room. A chasuble, dalmatic and tunic, deco- 
rated with historical orfravs and known as « Mary of 
Burgundy's ornament. » The embroideries are fine but 
unfortunately mutilated, in consequence of a modern 
taste for short chasubles. The head of the cross shows 
the armorial bearings of Mary's daughter, Margaret of 
Austria. The cloth, the pearls and precious stones, which 
formerly decorated it, were ffiven to the church bv 

J ' - O J 

Maximilian in 017, as a memorial of his wife ; the 
embroidery was finished in 1 553, and is not the work of 
Mary, who died in 1482.— A monstrance by John Beau- 
court, a goldsmith of Bruges (1723) ; it is of solid gold, 
ornamented with fine pearls and enamelled statuets, the 
gift of Mary- Magdalen van Westerveldt, the widow of 
Francis van Beversluy s. — A silver shrine of S. Boniface, 
made about 1828 ; the ten. relievos, which represent the 
life of the saint, were part of an older shrine made in 
1624 by Melchior Blootacker . 



S* -John's Totospttah 



of 



as founded m the 12 th century. The old sick- 
ward, disused now, dates from the latter half of 



— 83 — 



the 1 3 th century ; the hall along the Reie, from 1289-91. 
In the south gable is the old gate dating from 1270 
with sculptured representations of the death, burial and 
crowning of the B. Virgin. The interior gable which 
faces it deserves attention. 



*® Tbe XHuseum. ^ |*|^~ 

Is open on Sundays from 3 till 4 P. M. in the winter, 
till 5 P. M. in the summer ; on weekdays, from 
9 A. M. till 1 1 and from 1 till 4 P. M. (during summer 
till 6). The entrance fee is 1 fr. a head. The Museum 
enjoys deservedly a universal reputation, on account of 
its six authentic pictures of Hans Memlinc. 

This is not the place for discussing whatever has been 
related of Hans Memlinc, a disabled soldier escaping 
from the battle of Granson (1476), coming for a shelter 
to the S. John's hospital at Bruges, ingratiating himself 
with brother John Floreins, a chief-steward of the said 
hospital, and painting thereat the request of his pro- 
tector the S. Ursula shrine (1489). Such are nothing but 
fables. 

In fact, Memlinc drew his origin from the city or the 
electorate of Maintz ; he was a native either of that 
country, or possibly of Bruges ; he may have stayed 
some time at Cologne and later at Louvain. He is 
believed to have been born about 1430, and some say 
he was a pupil of Roger vander Weyden, alias de la 
Pasture. This painter (1400-1464) and Thierry Bouts 
(died in Louvain 1475) seem to have had a great in- 
fluence on his talent. We find him certainlv settled in 
Bruges in 1478, but very likely he may have lived here 
as early as 147 1, and perhaps earlier. He w r as a man of 
good means, having bought in 1480 three tiled houses 
and lent money to the city. He was married here and, 
having died 1 i th of August 1494, was buried at S. -Giles'. 
His wife was Anna and belonged, as it seems, to the 



Valckenaere family ; of her he had three children : 
Hans, Cornells and Nicholas. Such is the true history 
of this, the greatest painter of the Bruges' school, and 
perhaps of the world. His likeness, engraved by James 
van Oost % the elder, is at the Hofblibliothek of Vienna 
(n° 2100 of the engravings). It recalls the figure of 
S. John the Baptist in the triptych of J. Floreins, 
(n° 2 of the Memlinc Museum), not the figure which is 
looking through the window. 

Memlinc' s pictures in the Museum are : 

1) . A large altar-screen with shutters, representing 
the B. Virgin witli S. Catherine, and S. Barbara, 
S. John the Baptist and S. John the Evangelist. In the 
landscape on the right side begins the legend of S. John 
the Baptist, which is continued on the shutter. On the 
left side the landscape shows facts from the life of 
S. John the Evangelist, who, on the shutter, is repre- 
sented as having his Apocalyptic vision in the Isle of 
Pathmos. The shutters on their outside show the bro- 
thers and sisters of the hospital with their patron-saints 

(H79)- " . ' • . ' ; ; 

This painting is meant to glorify the two patrons of 
the hospital, (the two saints John), and the two kinds 
of life : the active life symbolized by S. Catherine, and 
the contemplative life, symbolized by S. Barbara. It is 
a most wonderful work: composition, drawing, colour- 
ing, everything is remarkably exquisite. The frame 
bears a contemporary inscription and the mark of 
brother John Floreins, first a purser, later from 1479 
till 1497 a master of the hospital. 

2) . A Triptych : The Adoration of the child Jesus by 
Its mother and the Angels, as also by S. Simeon and 
S. Anna, 'who represent the Jewish nation, and by the 
Magi, who represent the Gentiles. 

The shutters on the outside show S. John the Baptist 
and S. Veronica ; on the back ground is painted the 
Baptism of our Lord. On the frame, also a work of the 
painter, the history of Adam and Eve and their expulsion 



— 85 — 



from Paradise. The whole is a poem of the original 
Fall and the Redemption. This triptych was painted in 
1479, as appears from the authentic inscription, for 
master John Floreins, and is the best work of Mem line, 
as far as relief and colouring are concerned. 

3) . A portrait of Mary, the second wife of William 
Moreel, under the figure of the Sambetha Sibyl (1480). 
The glazing having gone off, this picture has lost much of 
its harmonious colouring. The frame is the original one. 

4) . A Triptych, the Deposition from the Cross. Side 
pannels : brother Adrian Reyns with his patron Saint, 
and S. Barbara ; on the backside, S. Wilgeforte and 
S. Mary of Egypt. On the frame, the date 1480 and 
initials of the donor. The picture is much injured. 

5) . A diptych : portrait of Martin van Nieuvvenhove, 
at the age of 23 years ; — the Virgin with the golden 
apple (1487). The work is well finished, the lines vigo- 
rous and pure, the colouring powerful and warm, one 
of the most carefully done works of Memlinc. The 
frame bears the date and names of personages. 

6) . The S. Ursula shrine was finished before the 21 th 
of October 1489. On the gables, the B. Virgin and 
S. Ursula. On the lateral faces, the legend of S. Ursula, 
according to the revelations said to be made to S. Eli- 
sabeth of Schonau and B. Herman Joseph of Steinfeld. 
The scene of the arrival at Rome is the best for compo- 
sition and colouring. On the slopes of the roof, six 
medallions, rather heavy and of imperfect colouring. 
They may be the work of some of the master's pupils ; 
or else they may have been injured by unskilful resto- 
ration and the wearing off of the glazing. 

A seventh authentic work of Memlinc will be seen at 
the Academy Museum. 

The hospital has some other meritorious paintings 
and other objects of art. such as old trunks and joiners' 
works. Observe a gilt-silver bowl, having on the inside 
of the lid the letters S. E. R. and the date 1619 ; — a 
Christmas crib of the 1 5 th century ; — a statuet of the 
B. Virgin, under a canopy (about 1480). 



— 86 — 



P. H ~ O 

> Hcafcemp XDuseunu °4 

i> lo o 
) A. . X ft 

Rue S Le Catherine, 84. We subjoin a short catalogue 
of the principal — all authentic — works of our 
old masters. 

I. John van Eyck : 1) The Virgin with S. Donatian, 
S. Georges and the donor Georges van der Pale, a 
canon of S. Donatian's (1436). A copy of this is at the 
Antwerp Museum ; the original picture comes from the 
old S. - Donatian's Cathedral. The canon's portrait 
shows one of the most marvellous results of pictorial 
cleverness. 

2) . A half-length portrait of the painter's wife (1439). 

II. From a follower of J. van Evck : Head of Christ, 

ml ' 

a reduced and free imitation of a van Fyck's picture, of 
1438, in the Berlin museum. — The works bears a 
spurious subscription. 

III. Hugo van der Goes (14. .-1482). Death of the 
B. Virgin. A replica, or an old copy of this is at the 
Cathedral. (See p. 54). 

IV. Hans Memlinc. A triptych (1484). S. Christo- 
phorus, S. Maur and S. Giles ; the donor W. Moreel, 
burgomaster of Bruges, and Barbara van Vlaender- 
berch, his wife, with their children and patron-saints. 
Belonged to the S. James church. For design and 
colouring, this is one of Memlinc's most powerful 
works. 

V. Gerard David, i) and 2). The history of the 
wicked judge : the judgment of Cambyses and the 
flaying of Sisamnes (1498). These powerful paintings 
are excellently done. 

3) . Baptism of Christ. Side pannels: Jean des Trompes 
and his first wife Elisabeth van der Meersch, with their 
patron-saints. On the backside : The Madonna with 
child and Magdalen CoFdier, the donor's second wife 



- 8 7 - 



with her patron-saint (i5o8). This should be compared 
with Memlinc's triptych, on the opposite wall. The- 
painter shows a great deal of power and a staunch 
fidelity to Memlinc's traditions. 

4). Two miniatures : the Preaching of S. John and 
the Baptism of Christ. 

VI. John Provost (14.. -1529). i).The last judgment, 
a typical work of the artist, authenticated 1 525 . — The 
flames on the left side were painted by P. Pourbus. 

2) & 3). Side pannels. (The interior surface has been 
sawn off.) — Donor and his wife with their patron- 
saints, S. John the almoner*and S. Godelieve. 

4 & 5). Side-pannels. (The exterior surface has been 
sawn off.) — An old man giving an acquittance to Death. 

VII. Lancelot Blondeel ( i 4. . - i 56 i ) 1). S. Luke 
painting the portrait of the B. Virgin ( 1 545). 

2). The legend of S. Georges in five compartments. 

VIII. J. van den Coornhuuse (died about the close 
of the 16 th century). The last judgment (1578), authen- 
ticated. The general disposition is copied from Provost; 
some figures seem to have been imitated from P. Pour- 
bus' last judgment, which follows. 

IX. Peter Pourbus ( i 5. i 584) 1). The last judg- 
ment; — compare this with the same subject by Provost, 
and notice the progress of good taste. 

2) . A portrait of John Fernagant (1 55 1). 

3) . A portrait of Adriana de Buuc, the wife of John 
Fernagant (1 55 1). 

4) . A reredos: the Deposition from the Cross ; on the 
shatters, the Carrying the Cross and the Resurrection. 

X. Pedrella. Adoration of the Shepherds; — on the 
shutters, Annunciation and Circumcision ; — on the 
backsides, S. Nicholas and S. Adrian. (ioyo). 

XI. Ant. Claeissins (i5..-i6i3). i). A banquet in 
Bruges (1574), with subscription. 

2). Mars surrounded with the Fine Arts, trampling 
down Ignorance. In the background, a view r of Bruges, 
taken from the marshes beyond the Minnewater (i6o5). 



— 88 — 



XII. Peter Claeissins, the elder (i 500-1576). The 
covenant of Tournai of 22 nd May 084; with thirteen 
portraits remarkable for the drawing, the colouring 
and expression. — With subscription. 

XIII. James van Oost, the elder (1600-1671). 
1). S. Augustine washing the feet of Christ, under the 
appearance of a pilgrim. 

2) . S. Antony of Padua in ecstasy before the Child 
Jesus surrounded with angels. 

3) . The legend of S. Antony. 

4) . The Virgin and Child, a copy of Rubens. 

5) . Portrait of a young cteric (1668). 

XIV. James van Oost, the younger ( 1 63g- 171 3). 
Bust of a man dressed in black. Signed on the backside. 

XV. Of unknown artists: 1). Side-pannels representing 
eight incidents of the life of S. Georges. — Bruges' 
school of about 1490.- 

2) . Two side-pannels: Adoration of the Magi and the 
Shepherds ; on the backsides, scenes from the life of 
Elias the prophet and the widow of Sarepta ; — Bruges' 
school of i5io-i52o. 

3) . Adoration of the Magi (i520-i53o), showing some 
affinity with paintings known under the name of de 
Bles 1 school. 

4) . Legends from the life of S. Rochus ; — flemish 
school of the i6 ,h century. 

XVI. Several paintings of J.-B. Franck (i6oo-i653), 
J.-B. Herregoudts (+ 172 1), L. de Deyster (+ 1 171), 
J. A. Garemyn (-f- 1799) etc. 





( A n 8 nce a t th e Vineyard) is an establishment dating 
from the i3 th century ; Jane of Constantinople 
favoured it with her liberalities. With its big trees and 
quaint neat houses, it offers a quite peculiar sight. 



THE BRIDGE OF THE BEGUINAGE. 



- 8 9 - 



The house of the Grande Dame, (the lady superioress) 
has some old paintings and pieces of furniture. The 
adjoining chapel dates from the end of the 1 5 th century. 
Decorative paintings on the shingles of the vault. — A 
tabernacle of carved wood ( 1 636). — The plane brass 
tomb of Margaret van Ruwescure (about 1390.) 



Xbe jCEUimewater, 



Or middenwater (anglice, middlewater) is a pool dug 
at the place where the Reie flows into the Suene ; 
it was enlarged in i33o when the canal was dug from 
Ostend to Ghent through Bruges, and served as a dock 
until the digging of the present Coupure. Here was a 
bridge on the Reie as early as 1 3 1 1 ; a long wooden 
bridge was thrown across the Minn e water in 1390 and 
was used until the end of the 16 th century. The present 
stonebridge was built in 1739-40. 

The view from the bridge either on the town or 
the country is a very picturesque one ; it has been 
much improved on the townside by the building of 
a beautiful villa (by Mr Chas. de Wulf, 1893) and 
the restoring of the old sluice-keeper's house (i5 th cen- 
tury). A bridge fit for carriage traffic has been built 
here (1895) instead of the old footbridge of i63o. 
Two towers stood on either side of the entrance into 
the Minnewater ; one has been demolished, which had 
the shape of a half-moon and was the work of John 
van Oudenaerde and Martin van Luevene (1401). The 
one still extant was built in 1398 by the former of those 
builders and was used for a powder-magazine. At a 
short distance Eastward stands the old Hongermood- 
molen, (famine-mill), built in 148 1, restored in 1882, 
and enlarged (1901) after the plans of Mr Oscar de 
Breuck. 

The Minnewater attracts yearly a large number of 
landscape painters and aquarellists. 



— 9 o — 

Reentering the town by the « rue Ouest du Marais », we 
should look at the magnificent Hospital for incurable 
women, recently erected after the plans of Mr L. De la 
Censerie, with a perfect understanding of the old local 
architecture. 

Passing on through the « West- and East- rue du 
Marais », w r e see the women and girls at their lace- 
making. Bruges is renowned for its roundmesh -lace, 
which is much stronger than the squaremesh-lace and 
cannot be done by machine work. Of late our lace- 
makers have taken up again the old artistic fabrics 
and perfectly reproduce the beautiful designs which 
we admire in many of the ij Ux century laces. They 
also make the other various fashions, such as Valen- 
ciennes, Point de Bruxelles, Duchesse etc. and study 
the Louis XIII and Louis XIV style etc. 

They work at home ; but in the fine summerdays 
one may see them sitting in a row or a circle in the 
shady part of the street ; their nimble fingers set the 
light spindles a-dancing on the cushion, whilst their 
voices repeat the old familiar songs. 



— 



I S. fames' Gfcmrcb. (S. Jacques). 1 

^ 3 



mm 



St 



his church was founded about the end of the 
12 th century, became a parish church about 
1240; in the northern apsis are left some 
traces of the original sandstone building. The 
lower part of the tower, the transept (now All Soul's 
chapel) and the north-nave date from the middle of the 
i3 ,h century. The apsis of this nave, the entrance to 
which was a triumphal arch, still showing the rings 
from which the crucifix was suspended, is the original 
choir of the church and displays a magnificent style ; 
the outside has still its curious cornice with storied 
modillions. Between the All Soul's chapel and the 
vestryroom of the acolyths, we yet see the old entrance, 
now walled up, of the north-chapel, with its stricking 
arcades and capitals. — The north-apsis w r as restored 
by Mr Chas. De Wulf (1897-98), who also has just 
finished restoring the west-side frontage. 

The church was enlarged and remodelled en 1457, 
and consecrated in 1479, though the work was not quite 
finished until the year i5i8. The south-chapel, with its 
nave, was built in 1476 at the expense of John de Gros, 
a knight of the Golden Fleece. The red-brick gable with 
turrets, recently restored, was part of this construction. 
The church was sacked by the Gueux (16 th century), 
who destroyed the high altar (erected 1479), the beau- 
tiful gray-stone roodloft (1 5 th century), the stalls (1482), 
the Sacraments huus (i5 th century), the stained glass 
windows and the sculptures. 



— 9 2 — 



The church was spoiled by works begun in 1692. 
Then it was that the apsis-windows were walled up, 
whilst others were modernized and the vaults of the 
nave, the low-sides and the S. Antony's chapel were 
rebuilt. — On the high altar, the Adoration of the Magi, 
by J. van BockJwrst ( 1 658). — Behind the same, a 
turret-shaped tabernacle (1593). 

Paintings and works of art. Beginning from the 
western end of the north-side: 

1. A reredos in three compartments, showing the 
legend of S. Lucy of Syracuse. The background shows 
the Belfry and the tower of S. James' church, as they 
were when the picture was painted. The figures are not 
very well proportioned, but the details are carefully 
done; the executioners and the poor are much like those 
of Thierry Bouts in his Martyrdom of S. Erasmus, 
(at Louvain). The painting bears the date 1480 and is 
the work of some unknown artist of Bruges, whom 
Friedlander calls the a Briigger Meister der Lucia 
Leg-en de ». 

2. A votive picture of the family of Soyer (Zeger) van 
Male, with his wife and numerous children, on their 
knees before Christ arising. — P. Pourbus (1578). 

3. A Triptych, attributed to the Master of the 
H. Blood, a follower of Gerard David, and who seems 
to have felt the influence of Quinten Metsys. — On the 
central pannel : Solomon, the prophets, the sibyls, 
S. Joachim and S. Anna, looking up to the Virgin 
with Child, issuing from a golden rose ; an Angel with 
the emblems of the Passion. — On the right-side 
pannel, the Tiburtine Sibyl. — On the left-side pannel, 
S. John at Pathmos contemplating the B. Virgin. — On 
the backside, Ecce homo, B. Virgin, S. John and 
S. Francis Assisiensis. — This is a very good work 
with regard to composition, design and colouring. The 
figures are quite remarkable and very original. 

In the S. Antony chapel, funeral copperplates 
(i38o-i6i5). 



- 93 - 



In the S. Anna chapel, flat tomb of Jean de Tongres 
(i 5 1 2). 

In the South-chapel, on the bottom-wall : 

4. The H.. Eucharist worshipped by the Sodality 
members, a fine work of Ant. Claeissins (1590). 

5. Adoration of the Magi (about 1600^. 

6. The chantry of Ferry de Gros, a son of John 
de Gros and treasurer of the golden Fleece, was built 
before i5i2. John de Gros had ordered the south- 
chapel to be built (1476); to his son we owe the chantry. 
Part of the pavement is the original one ; the altar is 
ancient. It has an enamelled terra-cotta basso-relievo of 
della Robia. the gilt wooden frame of which is of the 
1 5 th century. — An ancient credence-table. — A monu- 
ment of the founder and his two wives, a typical piece 
of flemish sculpture of the first half of the 16 th century ; 
the statues underwent some repairing ; the polychromy 
is modern but done after the style of the original 
painting. 

On the northern wall : 7) Holy Family, by van 
Oost. 

Chapel of Our Lady of Angels: 8) An altar picture: 
Presentation of the B. Virgin ( 1 65 5), by J. Jan Oost, 
the elder, the best perhaps of all his works. 

9. A Triptych of P. Pourbus ( 1 556) : the R. Virgin, 
surrounded with medallions of her seven dolours. — 
On the side-pannels, Josse van Belle and Catherine 
Hylaert, with their patron-saints, the latter being re- 
produced on the back-sides. For the central painting, 
the painter was inspired by the Master of the Seven 
Dolours (in the O. L. church). 

10. An ancient altar-picture from the chapel of 
O. L. of Angels, showing the Coronation of the B. Vir- 
gin, with the nine choirs of Angels (1517-22), by 
Alb. Cornells. The side-pannels are lost. This picture, 
the one known work of that artist, who is believed to 
have produced many, shows much delicacy of feeling, 



— 94 - 



and is remarkable for its perfect execution, its fine 
colouring and elegant drapery. 

ii. A reredos in three compartments, painted by 
Lancelot Blondeel (i523) for the corporation of barber- 
surgeons. It shows scenes from the legend of SS. Cos- 
mas and Damian, their patron-saints. Jt is the best of 
the painter's authenticated works; but we fail to disco- 
ver, as some do, the influence of Raphael. 



Going out by the great gate, notice in the Rue dn 
Marecage. the churchwardens' house, by Mr De la 
Censer ie (1892), and on your right, the Rectory (restored 
1893) with the adjacent house restored (1804). Turning 
to your right, notice the recently restored houses, at the 
corner of rue St Jacques, and the new well in old style. 



£^|6Ccole JJormale (Xi*aintngscbool).|^^ 

This training school for girls, rue S. Georges, is a 
magnificent building in the Bruges style of the 
1 5 th century, erected by L. De la Censerie (i88o-83) on 
the site of the S. Georges and S. Denis crossbow-men's 
guild {Het oud Hof) which dated from the i3 th century 
and was reorganized in 1400 (s. p. 40). The vaulted 
staircase (i5io-i3), an interesting piece of masonry, has 
been preserved and is to be embodied in the new building. 



Coming back from the Ecole Normale, notice the 
nice goldsmith's tribune at the Pont flam and {V laming- 
brugge) and the beautiful old houses in the rue Pourbus, 
(late rue Queue de Vache). (See p. 25). The beautiful 
building E. 3. restored in 1899, is the residence of the 
Burgomaster, count Visart. 



- 95 - 



o J> 



y ijohn van GC^cfe Square. 

: % 

A statue of John van Eyck, by H. Pickery (1878). — 
The P dorters' lodge, (meeting room of the citizens), 
late fine arts Academy. In the 14 th century this was a 
meeting-hall for the Poorters (i. e. the citizens). It was 
also the seat of a tilting club, known as the white Bear's 
club. Its emblem, a white bear (1417), has still its place 
at the corner of the building and is our local Pasquino; 
the people call it Beertje van de Loge and nickname it 
« the oldest citizen of Bruges. » The present statue is a 
copy of the original one, which is now in the Archeolo- 
gical Museum. 

The Poorters lodge was bought by the municipality 
in 1441-42, and it* became (1719) a school for drawing 
and painting. The principal frontage w r as extended to 
three times its length (1818) and the side-frontage to- 
wards the north decorated some years ago with a pseudo- 
gothic balustrade and statues of but mean merit. The 
building became a government-property in 1896 and is 
intended to be a repository for state-papers. It is a pity 
that the present restoration does not include the reope- 
ning of the « canal de la Grue » which ran alongside the 
south frontage and had a beautiful bridge, the S. John's 
bridge, decorated with niches and statues. (See Bruges 
en trais jours, p. iSi). 

On the north side of the square is a noble building of 
white stone, dating from 1477 and restored in 1878. It 
was formerly the Grand Tonlieu i. e. the office of the 
market-duties' collector. The lords of Ghistelles, who 
held the hereditary office, collected here the duties on 
foreign merchandise. Through marriage the office went 
over to the lords of Luxembourg, and Peter of Luxem- 
bourg built the house as it still exists. The elegant porch, 
which still bears his arms with the Golden Fleece, was 
built not before the 2 nd of May 1478, and the date of 
1477, put on by the architect, is certainly an error. 



— 9 6 — 



Since 1 641 the lower flat served for a weighing house, 
whence the whole building became known as the Sint- 
Jans Weeghuas (St John's weighing house.) 

The small lodge, next to the porch, was the pijnders 
or carrier's lodge, built about 1470 ; carriers are repre- 
sented in the brackets. 

The upper story of the old Ton lien is now : 

f^£> ^® Tbe public library, |§| 



Open daily — except Saturdays, Sundays and feast- 
days — from 10 A. M. till 1 P. M. and from 
4 P. M. till 7 P. M. It is a pity that it should be shut 
altogether during the months of August and September. 
It contains about 5ooo printed volumes, catalogued by 
the late E. Laude and the present library-keeper, advo- 
cate Claeys. It has also 562 manuscripts, some of them 
quite remarkable, catalogued by E. Laude. — A beauti- 
ful collection of « incunabula », amongst which several 
of Colard Mansion (Bruges 1475 -84I — The Steinmetz 
collection of drawings and engravings. 

It is worth while to go a few steps out of your way 
and walk down the rue Espagnole, at the left of the 
Library ; then come back and proceed to 



Tbe £D.emlinc square, 



Or Wednesday s-market Square. A white marble 
statue of Memlinc, by H. Pickery (1871). — At 
your right side, notice an old house which has kept its 
turret ( 1 5 th century). In front, ^ 

J}£> Tbe Blacfe nun's convent, 4£ 

ailed Bethel. The community, founded in 1 36 1 , 
and dispersed in 1792, took up the present esta- 



c 



— 97 — 



blishment in the beginning of last century. The building 
itself dates from i56i. 

Objects of art : A copper candlestick partly gilt and 
silvered, a very interesting work of the 12 th century. — 
Two side-pannels of a reredos : The Church and the 
Synagogue ; on the backsides, the Annunciation. Two 
other reredos-pannels, with eight episodes from the 
legend of S. Ursula. The backsides show in gray 
painting the four evangelists and the four latin doctors. 
These tour pannels, once attributed to Memlinc and 
Thierry Bouts, are the work of a Bruges painter, 
about 1465. The backsides show a parentage with the 
library-pannels (1480) of the Dunes Abbey, which w r e 
will see in the Seminary. The painter goes by the name 
of the Bruges master of the S. Ursula legend. Memlinc 
has borrowed nothing from these pannels. — A S. Jerom 
in meditation, school of Quint en Metsys. — The altar- 
picture, Christ on the Cross, by James van Oost, the 
elder. — Pannel of a diptych, S. Nicholas of Tolentino; 
on the backside, Roger de Jonghe, a provincial of the 
Augustinian Hermits, prior of the Bruges' convent and 
confessor of the black nuns, (died in 1 579.) — Another 
pannel : the same on his bed of state. 



-xuf^S S- ©lies' CFuircb. G^m 



Was founded in 1240, became a parish-church in 
1 3 1 1 ; the nave was built in 1240, the tower be- 
fore the end of the 14 th century ; the collateral naves, 
originally built under a lower roof, were enlarged and 
raised in 1460-62; the choir, transept and lateral chapels 
date from about 1470 ; the chantry between the choir 
and the north-chapel was added in 1471 ; the south- 
chapel, in 1475 ; the needle of the tower, in 1 5 1 2-56 ; 
its side-turrets were still extant in 1062. 

The restoration of this church, so irregularly built, 
was done in a very creditable way by Mr August Van 



- 98 



Assche, and in that respect the church well deserves a 
visit. The pavement had been raised in 1671, but has 
been brought down to the original level in 1872. Notice 
the bays of the central nave which were the old open- 
ings into the low and narrow side-naves. The vault of 
the choir, plastered about 18 19, has been renewed in 1879. 

The church has some good pictures. Ecce Homo and 
Mater dolorosa, half-length paintings bought in 161 3 
from the widow of Antony Claeissins at a price of 
6 pound « gros ». They seem to belong to the school of 
J. Provost, and are to be seen in the Torremans chan- 
try. — The Lord's supper, by Antony Claeissins ( 1 5g3). 
— The H. Trinity, by James van Oost, the elder, 
restored by John- Antony Garemyn. 

In the apsidal chapel, south, on the altar, a splendid 
polyptych by Francis Ponrbus ( 1 5 64^ : scenes from the 
childhood of Jesus, with portraits of donors and patron- 
saints. — Six paintings showing the institution of the 
order of the H. Trinity and the redemption of captives; 
three of these are the work of John- Antony Garemyn 
(1777-83). 

In the vestry-room, a reliquary of S. Giles, having 
the shape of an arm (1593). 

In this church or the adjoining churchyard, were 
buried the painters Hans Memlinc, John Provost and 
Lanceloot Blondeel, also the latter's widow and their 
daughter, a widow of Peter Pourbus, who himself seems 
to have been buried here. 



Old « Hof van der Doest », on which site the old 
abbey ten Duine, originally founded in the downs 
near Furnes (1 107), and destroyed in i56o was reerected 
(1623-28). The church was built in 1775-88. At the 
reerection of the bishopric of Bruges in 1834, the old 
abbey became a seminary for the diocese. 



— 99 — 

In the hall : An alto-relievo in Kehlheim stone, the 
Visitation, after a woodcut bv Albert Dtirer. Other 
samples are extant in the British museum and at Bruns- 
wick. — A triptych: the Lord's Supper, the Pascal Lamb, 
and Elias under the juniper tree. — The middle pannel 
is a weak and differently coloured imitation of Thierry 
Bouts 7 painting at S. Peter's, Louvain. The letters I. M. 
in the window of the central and the right side pannel, 
are perhaps the painter's initials (./. Mersiaen, or Jooris 
de MeyerX), or else of the person who ordered this work 
of an unknown Bruges painter (1470- 1485). A series in 
gray camaieu of the Counts of Flanders and the Dunes 
Abbots. Pannels from the Dunes library, by an unknown 
local artist (V. S. The black nuns' convent). The first 
pannel bears the date 1480. This series has been conti- 
- nued down to the i8 tb century. — The portraits of our 
bishops since 1834. — Other rooms show the complete 
series of our bishops since the first erection of the dio- 
cese down to the French Revolution, the bishops of 
Ypres and the abbots of ((the Dunes » since Campmans. 

The record-room has a collection of manuscripts 
with miniatures, amongst which a Valerius-Maximus 
in three big in-folio volumes, with 8 magnificent minia- 
tures; — a cistercian missal (1 5 th century); — a breviary 
(i5 lh century); — a foundations' register of the poor on 
the S. Saviour's parish (1457); and some interesting 
specimens of bookbinding of the same century. 



Coming out of the seminary and turning to the right, 
observe the nice flemish gable on the corner, and the 
old hospital of the plague-stricken, restored in 1898. 



1° °I r M 



At a very early period, there, existed a hospital along- 
side the Reie, between the «rue de Thuilew and the 
Gotje; the present hospital was built in 1276 on a piece 



3 



1 00 



of ground, called the Poterie (anglice Pottery). The 
first chapel was built in i2qo; the present church, built 
about i354, was consecrated in 1 359- T° this belonged 
the present middle gable. The gable on the left side 
dates from 1529 and the other, on the right side, from 
1623. 

The church is a very plain structure, yet very elegant 
and most interesting, quite an object-lesson for architects. 

The south chapel has a marble altar, the gift of John 
Lucas, a native of Bruges and vicar-apostolic of Peru ; 
a memorial of the donation is to be seen, cut in a stone- 
tablet, on the wall. Above the altar stands the miraculous 
image of O. L. of the Poterie, which dates from the 
1 3 th century, photos and engravings of which may be 
had from the « chaisiere. » 

Under the altar rested, since the 6 th of April 1 83 1 , 
the body of B. Idesbald van der Gracht, third abbot 
of « the Dunes », who was a counsellor to Sibvl 
d'Anjou, during her husband's absence at the Crusade. 
He died in 1167 and the worship, locally paid to his 
memory, was officially confirmed the 23 d of July 1894. 
Great festivities were held on this occasion (1896) and, 
at the same time, the body was transferred to a new 
shrine executed after drawings of the late Baron 
Bethune, in a recess built for the purpose. 

Next to this chapel, stands on a bracket the votive 
statue of O. L., a memorial of a vow made — it is 
said — by the ladies of Bruges, in 1304. Whilst their 
husbands were at the war against the french king Philip 
the fair, they promised yearly to offer a wax candle of 
36 pounds to O. L. of the Poterie, if victory were pro- 
pitious, and the vow was fulfilled after the battle of 
Mons-en-Pevele, i8 !h August 1304. This is the origin of 
the procession a^id the pilgrimage to the Poterie, which 
starts yearly on the i5 th of August from the chapel of - 
Blindekens or Notre - Dame des Aveugles. The old 
custom, which had been interrupted by the French Re- 
volution, has been resumed in 1839. " 



hi the choir : at the right side of the altar, the tomb 
of the celebrated chronic-writer Nicholas Despars, a 
native of Bruges (-{- i ^97) ; at the left side, that of John 
de Beer (-f- 1608), and his wife. 

In the vestry '-room: a reliquary of the H. Thorn, of 
the i5 Nl century, remodelled in the 16 th . — A reliquary- 
monstrance of the end of the 1 5 th century, remodelled in 
1604. — A procession cross of the i6 tU century. — A 
chalice (about 1600). — A chasuble with storied orna- 
mentations, of the 1 5 th century. 

Museum. Open on Sundays from 10 A. M. till 12, 
on weekdavs from 2 P. M. till 4 in the winter and 5 in 
the summer; entrance fee 5o cs a head. — A small frame 
with three basso-relievos : the B. Virgin (14 th century), 
S. Barbara and S. Catherine (16 th century). — Two 
small pieces of furniture of local workmanship (about 
i5oo). — A chest, of local workmanship, bearing the 
motto of Charles V, of the beginning of the 16 th century. 
: — Another chest of the same period. — Chairs of the 
16 th and 1 - th centuries. — A leper's rattle ( i6 ,h century). 
— An alto-relievo of wood, polychromed: Christ in the 
garden of Olives (end of 16 th centurv). 

Pictures, n. 10, an arched triptych : the Deposition 
from the Cross ; on the shutters, Christ carrying his 
Cross and the Resurrection (i520.) — n. i3, Christ, 
with four of his apostles, meeting the ten lepers, by 
John Claeissins (i632). — A small triptych, not num- 
bered : the Holy Women at the Sepulere ; on the shut- 
ters, S. Magdalen and a nun (1645). — n. 20, a triptych, 
a Madona, attributed to Peter Claeissins . — n. 21, Our 
Lady under the tree, by Peter Claeissins(ibo8). — n. 23, 
S. Michael, crushing the devil, by a pupil of Memlinc 
(about i5oo). — n. 24, The B. Virgin receiving in her 
arms the dead bodv of her Son. — n. 25. An arched 
triptych : Christ on the Cross ; on the shutters, the 
donor and a priest, his son ; on the outside, armorial 
bearings with inscription : post tenebras spero lucem, 
attributed to Peter Poiirbns. — n. 33. A triptych, the 
Adoration of the Shepherds. — n. 34. S. Mary Mag- 



— 102 — 



dalen, a painting on leather, of the Milan school 
(i5 th century). — n. 3y. A triptych : the Virgin (about 
1610). — n. 46. A triptych : the Lord's Supper; on the 
shutters, Abraham and Melchisedech, the Manna in the 
desert, in the Peter Pourbus style ; on the outside, the 
Annunciation, in the Peter- Antony Claeissins style. — 
n. 57. Portrait of a nun of S. Magdalen's hospital 
( 1 5 1 5 ) . — n. 64. S. Sebastian, by James van Oosi, the 
elder (1648.) — n. 65. Legends of the H. Cross, two 
side-pannels from the old Boggarde school ; on the 
backside, B. Virgin and S. Job (about 1450). — n. 71. 
Christ on the Cross ; with emblems and inscriptions on 
the shutters. 

Tapestries. Flemish tapestry in silk and wool : the 
child Jesus adored by His mother, S. Joseph, the angels 
the shepherds, the donors and their patron-saints (about 
i5oo). — A woollen tapestry: the Virgin with her 
Child, S. John the Baptist and S. John the Evangelist, 
with two scutcheons and trademarks (about i53o). — 
In the corridor, three long pieces representing eighteen 
miracles of 0. L. of the Poterie, after drawings of the 
early years of the 16 th century ; the tapestries are of the 
17 th century. Within drawers are kept: a flemish ta- 
pestry, representing the Annunciation (1639); — id. 
the Presentation, same date. 

High- warp tapestry was very flourishing at Bruges. 
During the last years of Charles the bold, one John 
van Gobeelen left the town and became the originator 
of the famous Gobelins manufactory of Paris. 

Dining room: a large oaken table (1424); the board is 
a single piece measuring 8 m 3o in length and o m 62 in 
width. — A gilt silver reliquary, in the shape of a cross, 
with precious stones (16 th century). — An alto-relievo 
of touchstone, w r ith golden decorations, showing the 
Crucifixion (16 th century). — A cast copper Madonna 
of the Florentine school. — A series of portraits of the 
hospital wardens, (1478- 1874) several being works of 
our great painters ; amongst those wardens, notice 
Cornells van Baersdorp, born at Bruges about 1480, 



— i o3 — 



physician to the emperor Charles V in 1540, and 
a archiatre » or chief-physician in 1 5 5o ; died r 565. 

Corridor. An alto-relievo: the Virgin and her Child, 
under a canopy (i5 th century); the polychromy recently 
restored wants more mellowness. 

Old pieces of furniture, from the i5 th to the 17 th cen- 
tury are to be seen at various places in the hospital. 

Archives. A beautiful collection of charters from 
1241. accounts from 1342 etc. — Some manuscripts with 
miniatures of the i5 th century, — A manuscript from 
the early years of the i6 lh century, with the miracles 
of O. L. of the Poterie, drawn with the pen. The 
windows are decorated with medallions (1529). 



^ Tbe CmjUsb Convent, 



Rue des Carmes, is an affiliation (1629) of the con- 
vent which the canonesses of S. August in, driven 
from England in the times of persecution, founded at 
Louvain. The church (1736-39) was built by Henri 
Pulincx\ the high altar was made at Rome of rare and 
ancient marble from Persia, Greece and Egypt ; it has 
been completed recently ; the side altar is equally re- 
markable for its materials. The chapel was decorated in 
1872. 

One of the ladies-superioresses was of the family of 
B. Thomas Morus, and lies buried at S te -Croix. 

The convent has some valuable paintings and also 
the rosary of the unfortunate queen of Charles II, 
Catherine of Bragance, who died in 1705. 

The ladies of the convent keep a boarding school 
w T hich enjoys a high reputation. 



Opposite the English Convent is the seat of the 



— 104 — 



S. Sebastian's gutlE) 



Of archers. The society dates from the 14 th century; 
its members were the life-guards of the counts of 
Flanders. The turret has been rebuilt between i562 and 
1 ; the needle was renewed in 1 614; the chapel dates 
from 1 685 ; the covered gallery and the targets, from 
1579. The whole has just been restored. Notice a picture 
of S. Sebastian, by John- Antony Garemyn and the 
portraits of the headmen, some of them by Jacques van 
Oost, the elder. (See p. 40 some english souvenirs con- 
nected with the place). 



c 2/ 
o 



Tbe ol& ramparts 



Of the town show here the two last remaining of 
the windmills which used to encircle the town. 
From the raised ground, on which they stand, we have 
a nice view of the town and the surrounding country, 
as also the 




:Oorte S te - GCrofj. 



This is a good specimen of medieval military archi- 
tecture. Originally built by Matthew Sagen and 
John Slabbaert in 1366-67, ^ was entirely reconstructed 
(1402) by John Van Oudenarde and Martin Van 
Luevene, who undertook likewise the reconstruction of 
the Porte de Gand and the Porte S te -Catherine. Scarce 
one half is left of the structure, which may be made an 
idea of, by looking at the chart of Bruges, by Marc 
Gheeraerts (i562), which exhibits the whole defensive 
works, with drawbridges, portcullis, walls and turrets. 



— io5 — 



The curious of military monuments may proceed to the 
Porte de Gand built in 1402 and strenghtened by John 
De Maech in 1 5 1 3-14 with defensive works, several of 
which how T ever have been demolished. 



> Tbe -Jerusalem Gbuucb < 

Was founded about 1427 by the brothers Peter and 
James Adornes and their wives Elisabeth Brade- 
rick and Anna Masins ; it was consecrated in 1428, 
under the name of Jerusalem, to honour the Passion of 
Our Lord and His holy Sepulcre. The tower and the 
adjacent hospital were begun in 1428, but the church 
was not yet completed in 1465. Popular belief considers 
this church to be a reproduction of the H. Sepulcre- 
church of Jerusalem ; how far this opinion may be 
founded in fact, we do not know, the original building 
having been burnt down in the 16 th century. Certainly 
the architect has produced quite an original work, 
wherein are beautifully blended the old flemish and the 
oriental styles. In march 1903, they began scraping off 
the whitewash from the walls, and we shall be able to 
distinguish the old from the new parts of masonry. 

The outside view is quite pleasing ; the corbel-tables 
of the turrets are beautiful ; they show the sculptured 
armorial bearings of the Adornes, a wheel with radiant 
clouds. 

In the lower chapel, notice the stairs which lead up 
to the upper chapel, their banisters and gates, the cop- 
per branches, the vault with the keystones and founder's 
armorial bearings, the sculptured stone railings. — The 
tomb of Anselm Adornes, the founder's son (+ 1483), 
and of his wife, Margaret van der Banck (+ 1463), with 
their effigies. — Six stained glass windows (1482-1560), 
carefully restored by Mr Arthur Verhaegen (1890). — 
The altar-screen, which deserves a careful look, is of 
stone and anterior to the year 1435. Notice some ala- 
baster funerary monuments of the 16 th and 17 th century. 



— io6 — 



In the upper chapel, the cupola is beautifully vaulted 
and was recently repaired. The arches rest on little co- 
lumns, bearing the founder's arms ; around them, as 
well as at the windows appear traces of the original 
painting which decorated the church. — At the left 
of the altar, is the founder's tribune ; the vault is a 
beautiful masonry, its edges are decorated with white 
and red mouldings, and the keystone shows the found- 
ers' coat of arms. The small windows are very elegant. 
: — Notice a triptych of the i5 th century: the Virgin with 
her child, S. Catherine and S. Barbara, of an unknown 
painter influenced by Qiiinten Metsys. 

In the crypt, a cupboard with wrought- iron door by 
Peter Ry chain (171 3), wherein is kept a very beautiful 
gilt-silver reliquary of the H. Cross, of the 1 5 th century. 

The Sepulcre of Our Lord. The wrought-iron door 
dates from the first building of the church. The crypt 
and sepulcre were made according to old traditions, but 
are not. in accordance with archeological notions. 

In the vestry room, a carved olive-wood cross, with 
twelve alto-relievo sculptures, brought back from Pa- 
lestine bv the founders; radiant silver clouds were added 
by them to the four ends, which emblem appears also 
on the stamped leathern case (1435). — A splendid 
silver reliquary, representing a tomb, the lid being lifted 
by Angels, and Christ arising in his glory (i5 th century). 
• — Four candlesticks (end of the i5 lh century). — A 
sculptured missal-bearer (17 th century). 



The S. Hnna CCburcb 4 

of V i 



Was consecrated in 1497, an< ^ reconstructed in i5i3; 
it had then three naves and a square tower. Hor- 
ribly sacked by the so-called Reformed, in 1579, it was 
remodelled in 1607-21 in the renaissance style, which 
does not seem — in this instance — to be antagonistic 
with religious feeling. The church has been painted in 
1879, under the direction of Mr L. De la Censerie. The 



furniture is beautiful: high altar (1667), the stalls 
(1646), the confessionals (1699!, the pulpit (1675), the 
roodloft (1642), the organ ( 1 865) , two sculptured banks 
under the roodloft 1670). 

Pictures : near the high altar, two triptych-pannels 
(about 1590), the Annunciation and Nativity; north side 
of the choir, S. Anna teaching the B. Virgin, by James 
van Oost, the elder. — Death of the B. Virgin, and 
her Assumption, from an unknown painter, an imitator 
of van der Goes (?). — The Presentation (end of 16 th 
century). — The large painting at the bottom of the 
church, showing the doom of sinners, is a work of 
Henri Herregonts ( 1 685), none of his best. 

In the vestry-room, a turret-shaped monstrance 
(1617) ; two acolyth's candlesticks (i5oo) ; an offertory 
plate (i6 lh century); some beautiful embroidered pieces 
of the i6 ,h century, amongst which a boss-embroidered 
altar-frontal. 

The Bells are of 1599 and 1754. 

% 2^ 

f$)f Tbe (Iluseum of modern paintings 

w To of 

As A 

Located since 1898 in the old Jesuit college, late the 
Atheneum's boarding school, contains works of 
Kinsoen, Odevaere, Suvee, Ducq, De Visch, Miss Beer- 
naert, Robbe, Th. Coosemans, G.-J. Vernet etc. and of 
our contemporary local artists : Wallaeys, Legendre, 
Van Hollebeke, De Jans, Van Hove, etc. 



The oio S. ISfalbursa Cburcb 



Stood at the corner of the present S.-Walburga street 
and had its apsis in the rue des Chevaliers. Built 
about 870, it became a parish church (17 th of July 1239), 
when count Thomas of Savoy transferred his right of 



— io8 — 



patronage to the bishop of Tournai. That church was 
demolished in 1779. The present S. Walburga church 
is the old Jesuit church, built ( i6j 9-41) after the plans 
of Peter Huyssens, the son of a local mason, who be- 
came a lay brother of the Society of Jesus (1 598). By 
the protection of the archdukes Albert and Isabella, he 
travelled in Italy and studied architecture. He drew the 
plans of several Jesuit churches, amongst otbers that of 
Maestricht, now a theatre. He brought to its completion 
the Jesuit church of Antwerp ((617-21) and designed its 
tower. He was also the architect of S. Peters' church in 
Ghent (begun 1629) and died at Bruges, 6 th of June 1637, 
aged 60 years. 

Contrary to medieval traditions those outside parts 
only which are visible have been decorated ; the lower 
walls and the lower parts of the tower are of plain 
masonry. 

In 177Q, the Society of Jesus being suppressed in the 
Low-Countries, the church was given to the S. Walburga 
parish. At the time of the Revolution it was desecrated 
by the worship of the goddess Reason. An inscription 
around the portal's arcade recalls the fact of S. Francis- 
Xavier being chosen by the magistrates of Bruges (1666) 
as a patron against the plague, which was committing ' 
fearful havoc. 

The pulpit is believed to be the work of Erasmus 
Qiiellin. — The high altar (i65o) ; a picture of the 
Resurrection by Joseph-Benedict Suvee (1783); — a 
copper reredos, a gift of the parishioners to commemo- 
rate the jubilee of the late parish-priest Frutsaert (1893). 

In the south nave, a Triptych : Our Lady and the 
dried-up tree ; Moyses and Aaron ; on the shutters, the 
16 members of the confraternity, by Peter Claeissins, 
the younger (1620). This picture belonged successively 
to the convent of the Recollects and the Eekhoutte 
abbey, which were in turns the seat of the confraterni- 
. ty. It bears erroneously the name of Ponrbns. — Christ 
taken down from the Cross, by Joseph Odevaere (1812). 



— io 9 — 



excursions to be recommenfcefc.ldf 



Damme, at 3 miles from Bruges : Market-Halls 
(1664-68 1 , restored in i860 and again in 1895. — 
The O. L. church, begun in 1180, sadly ruined, under- 
went a beginning of restoration which was but poorly 
conducted. A new restoration is bein^ done under the 
supervision of Mr Chas. Dewulf* which promises to be 
a more serious one ; — under the tower a monument 
(1893) to the memory of van Maerlani, the flemish 
rhymer of the 1 3 ,h century. 

Vive-Capelle, at 1 1/2 mile from Damme, shows a 
picturesque group of modern gothic structures, includ- 
ing the church and schools, erected ( 1 8 5 2 ) by Baron 
Bethune d'Ydewalle and Florimond van de Poele. 

Lisseweghe, at i 1/2 mile from the Railway station, 
between Bruges and Blankenberghe; The O. L. church 
(i23o) is being beautifully restored under the skilful 
direction of Mr August Van Assche. — Large barn of 
the old abbey Ter Doest (1280). 

The sea -side resorts of Ostende, Mariakerke, 
Middelkerke, Le Coq, Wenduyne, Blankenberghe, 
Heyst-sur-mer, Duinbergen. Knocke, Westende, Nieu- 
port, Coxide, la Panne etc. are all in the vicinity of 
Bruges and easily reached by railway and tramcars. 

The dutch town of Sluys is reached either by tramcar 
or by steamer. 



4 



I IO — 



J H sbort itinerary — for sncb i 

^§3° <? 

%6g as can spare little time. @& 1 

Cathedral. — Notre Dame. — Gruuthuse; Museum 
of laces. — S. John's hospital. — Municipal 
Museum (the so-called Academy Museum). — Market 
square and Belfrey. — Archeological Museum. — 
Town Hall. — Chapel of the H. Blood. — Chimney 
of the Franc. • — S. James. 



(o 



Otber more extensive itineraries, v 



i). j^athedral. — Beguinage. — Municipal Museum. 
V_> — S. John's hospital. 

2) . Notre Dame. — Gruuthuse, and Museum of 
laces. — The Halles. — Archeological Museum. 

3) . Chapel of the H. Blood. — Town Hall. — Old 
Record office (ancien Greffe) — Court of Justice and 
Chimney of the Franc. 

4) . The gate of S te Croix. — The Jerusalem church. 

— S. Anna church. — The Pottery hospital and 
Museum. — The Seminary. — S. Giles' church. — 
Memlinc Square. — Van Eyck Square with the old 
« Tonlieu » and « Poorters lodge ». 

5) . Cathedral. — Simon Stevin's Square. — Notre 
Dame. — S. John's hospital. — Beguinage. — Muni- 
cipal Museum (Academy Museum). — Gruuthuse. — 
Dijver. — Rue aux Laines. 

6) . Market Square. — Les Halles and Belfry. — The 
Burg. — Town hall. — Chapel of the H. Blood. — 
The old Record office (ancien Greffe). — Chimney of 
the Franc. — Fish market and Palace of the Franc. 

7.) Jerusalem church. — S. Anna church. — Porte 
S le Croix. — English Convent. — S. Sebastian's guild. 

— Seminary. — Pottery hospice. 



— Ill — 



8). S. Giles' church. — S. John's Square. — S. Wal- 
burga church. — Pont flamand. — Training school for 
girls (Ecole Normale). — Porte d'Ostende. — Carmelite 
church. — S. James' church. 



By the same author : 

U Art des Facades a Bruges, in 4 avecXVII pi. 
hors texte et 40 photogravures. — Prix 7 francs. 



« Canon Duclos' work analyses with great accuracy 

« and precision the various types of private buildings in 

« Bruges; he studies their proceeding from one another, 

« and appreciates them in each of their modifications ; 

« his judgments are founded on solid esthetical taste 

« and architectural knowledge. Nice engravings, draw- 

« ings after old documents or existing buildings, nume- 

« rous details of mouldings, arches, and various archi- 

« tectural relics enhance the value of this book, which 

« is much to be recommended. » 

« Bulletin des metiers d* art » Nov. 1902. 

Mr L. Cloquet, professor of architecture and con- 
struction in the University of Ghent, writes (Nov. 1902): 

« Nobody loves or knows Bruges as well as Mr Duclos, 
« the writer of many articles on local archeology, and of 
« an excellent traveller's guide in the flemish town. He 
« knows not only its history but also its art. Nobody 
« was more apt to elucidate the history of house build- 
« ing in Bruges, or to describe the beautiful gables such 
(( as we see them... His work is very elaborate, full of 
« details and thoroughly reliable. All remnants of do- 
(« mestic art are collated and described in this precious 
« work. » 



Q-H V 



'Bhe Wan\ y /aax a revetvin 
^ white projections may be 
v from U miles afar. 



Bruges and us Environs 




vvw w vvvvvvw vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv vvvv vv 




Jplable of contents. 




A word cf introduction ....... 3 

Academy Museum ... \ ... . 86 

Bruges school of painting ....... 19, 

Breidel and de Conine ....... 29 

Belfrey Tower (the; ........ 62 

Burg (the) .......... 63 

Beguinagc (the) {Ten Wyngaarde) . . . . 88 

Black nuns' Convent . . . . . . ... 96 

Conversion of english into french measures ... 9 

» » french measures into english . . . 10 

Celebrated men . . . . . . . . . 33 

Cathedral church ........ 4? 

Chimes - . . . . . . .... . 8-62 

Court" of Justice . . . . . . .... 65 

Chimney of the Franc . . ... . . 65 

Church (of O. L.) ........ 74 

» (S. James') . . . . . . . . 91' 

» (S. Giles'; . . . . . 97 

» (Jerusalem) . . . . . ... io5 

» (S. Anna) . . . . . v . . . 106 

» (S. Walburga) . . . . . . . 107 

Ecole Normale (Ti ainingschool) . . . ." • 94 

English Convent (the) . . . . . . . 100 

Excursions to be recommended. . . . . . 109 

Excursions out of town ....... 11-109 

Feast and Procession. . . . . . . 71 

Festivities . . . . . . .;, . . i3 

Fragments of English History in connection with Bruges . 04 

Franc de Bruges. ........ 65 



— 114 — 



Fish Market (the) 

General informations. .... 

Government House ..... 

Gruuthuuse (Hotel) ..... 

Guild (S. Sebastians'). . . 
Historical events at the beginning of the 14*)' century 
Hall and its Belfrey (the) .... 

Hotel de Ville ...... 

Holy Blood (the) ..... 

Hospital (S. John's) ..... 

» for incurable women . . . 

x> Poterie . . . . . 

Itineraries short — for such as can spare little time 

» other more extensive . 
John van Eyck's Square .... 

Language (the) ...... 

Local architecture ..... 

Lace-making (see also Museum of Gruuthuuse) 
Metric measures, weights, money 
M useum of the Hospices civils . 
Market Square (Grand'place) 
Museum of antiquities .... 

» )) the Holy Blood 

» » Laces ..... 

Mausoleums of Marv of Burqundv, and of Charles the 
Museum (Hospital S. John) 
Memlinc ....... 

Museum (Academy) ..... 

Minnewater 

Memlinc Square (the) .... 
Museum of the Poterie .... 
Museum of modern paintings 
Origin of the Town (the) . . • 
Oudenburg street (rue du Vieux Bourg) 
Old Waterhalle 

» Record-Office (Ancien greffe) 

y> Academy 

» Ramparts (the) ..... 
Processions . • . 



11-110 
i 10 



Bold 



83 
20-83 



r — . 1 1 5 — 

Prosperity and decay ........ r5 

Painters of the french school (Bruges) . . . . 23 

Palace (Episcopal) ........ 5y 

Provost's Court (the Landhaus). . . . . . ■ 72 

Poorters Loge ......... g5 

Public Library . . .... . . . . 96 

Poterie Hospital . . . . . . . 100 

Porte S. -Croix . . . ..- . . . . 104 

Porte de Gand . ........ io5 

Quai du Rosaire. ........ 78 

Railway station ......... 43 

Rue des Pierres {Steenstraat) ...... 58 

Repository of our local state-papers . . . . . 5g 

Repository of the government's state-papers ... 66 

Relic of the Holy Blood (the) ...... 69 

School of painting (Bruges') ...... 19 

» » » (flemish) ...... 23 

S. Saviours's church (the Cathedral) . . . . 45 

Simon Stevins' square ....... 58 

Seminary .......... q8 

S. Sebastian's guild . . . . . . . 104 

Tonlieu .......... 96 

Venice of the North (the) ....... ] 1 

Vestry Room (H. Blood) ....... 70 

Windmills . . ... . . . . . . 104 



m 



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general library anD printing office, tbe following 



artistic wovfts: ©^©^©^(^©x^S 

^^^^ ^^'^^^y^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^ 



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IPavt des Facades a Bruges, by m.Ad.Duclos, with 

XVII plates « hors texte », drawn by Hubert Hoste, architect ; and 
XL photoengravings. In-40, a most learned work on Brugian 
architecture (cf. the notice on p. 62). Price .... fr. 7.00 

I^leisterwerliederJ^llederlliisdiselfieillalerel 
des XV 11 sad XVI Jahrhunderts auf clef 
Brugger Ausstellung des Jahres f 902, 

by Max Friedlander, a volume of 12X i5 j/2 inches, with 90 plates 
in photoengraving and phothotypes ; 24 pages of explaining text. 
Reproductions of the best paintings exhibited at the Exposition 
des Primitifs a Bruges anno 1902. Price. . . . . . fr. 1 25 

Edition nationale de Ea Vie de Motre Sei- 
gneur JeS11S-Clll*ist,par James Tissot, 2 volumes in-40 
of about 55o pages. French-latin text with notes of the artist 
The illustration comprises about 5oo compositions of James Tissot, 
of which 3o coloured pictures hovs texte in helioengraving and 
io5 coloured pictures in the text and about 070 reproductions of 
aquarelles, drawings and sketches, ornamented lettertypes, 
headings, « cuts de lampes » and finishings in woodcut. Price 

in 1 4 fascicules fr. 120 

Bound in ornamented cover at fr. 140, 160, 190, 200 and 25o. 

When the 2\3 of the edition are sold the price shall be much 
increased. 



St. Ursula's shrine at St. John's Hospital 

at Bruges, 1 5 engravings on stone, in- 8°, of Memlinc's 
work by the late James Petyt, engraver and professor at the 
Royal Academy of fine arts, Bruges. Price fr. 2.00 



Xia Tie be jSatnt Dominique 



pefute par. le IP. Ibgadntbe JBeeson 
prieur be 

Saxnte-'Sabme bans Ic ct^apttre be Satnt=Si£te4e*Dteii£ a Home, 

AVEC TEXTE EXPLICATIF 

du R. P. Joachim Berthier, des Freres-Precheurs. 

— GRAND IN-40 — 



Sujets des Plasichcs: 

Portrait du R. P. Hyacinthe Besson. — I. Vision de la Bienheureuse Jeanne 
d'Aza, mere de St. Dominique. — II. Bapteme de St. Dominique. — III. St. Do- 
minique vend ses livres pour faire l'aumone. — IV. St. Dominique, en passant par 
Touiouse, convertit son note heretique. — V. La Bienheureuse Vierge Marie pre- 
sente St. Dominique a son Fils pour apaiser sa colere. — VI. La Reine du Ciel 
donne le Rosaire a St. Dominique au sanctuaire de Prouille. — VII. St. Domini- 
que conseille aux legats de renoncer a toute pompe exterieure, pour mieux con- 
vertir les Albigeois. — VIII. Le batelier du Tarn pave par miracle. — IX. Le livre 
de St. Dominique sort intact des flammes. — X. St. Dominique egare rnaiicieuse- 
inent par un heretique, ensanglante le cheniin. — XL Saint Dominique soutenant 
les Croises par la priere pendant la batailie de Muret. — XII. Innocent III voit 
en songe St. Dominique soutenant l'eglise de Latran. — XIII. Rencontre de Saint 
Dominique et de St. Francois d'Assise. — XIV. St. Dominique visite la recluse 
Bona a la porte de Latran. — XV. St. Dominique obtient d'Honorius III la confir- 
mation de son Ordre. — XVI. St. Pierre et S. Paul apparaissant a St. Dominique 
lui disent: va et preche. — XVII. St. Dominique, a N.-D. de Prouille, envoie 
ses premiers disciples dans le monde entier. — XVIII. Le repas miraculeux 
servi par les anges, a St-Sixte. — XIX. La Ste Vierge donne au Bienh. Reginald 
ie vetement qui doit eti e desormais celui de i'Ordre. — XX. Resurrection de 
l'architecte du couventde St-Sixte. — XXI. Resurrection d'un enfant mort pen- 
dant que sa mere entendait un sermon du Saint a St-Sixte. — XXII. St. Domini- 
que voit les Freres et les Sceurs sous ie manteau de la Vierge. — XXIII. Resur- 
rection du jeune Napoleon Orsini, a St-Sixte. — XXIV. Les Sceurs introduit s a 
St-Sixte avec l'image miraculeuse de Marie. — XXV. Veture du Bienh. Ceslas a 
Ste-Sabine. — XXVI. La Vierge benit les Freres. — XXVIL St Dominique et son 
compagnon ramenes a Ste Sabine par un ange. — XXVIII. Mort de St. Dominique 
a Bologne. 

Edition ordinaire broch.ee , avec texte explicatif . 4.60 le volume 
Edition de luxe, reliee percaline rouge, ptats dores 6.5o » » 
Edition ordinaire brochee, sans texte explicatif . 3.j5 » » 



On peut obtenir les planches separees suivantes : 

i r * Plakche: i* La Reine du Ciei donne le Rosaire a St. Dominique au sanctuaire 
de Prouille (1208). — 2° La Bienh. Vierge Marie presente St. Dominique a son 
Fils pour apaiser sa colere. — 3° Saint Dominique, a N.-D. de Prouille, envoie 
ses premiers disciples dans le monde entier (i5 Aout 1217). 

2* Planche: St. Pierre et St. Paul apparaissant a St. Dominique lui disent; va et 
pr&che. 

Au prix de 40 centimes l'exempl., 36 fr. les 100 exempl., (assortis 
si Von desire). Ces planches sontfinement executees en grisaille, 
format : petit in-folio. 



Jtntionnl pnmtfacture of f issues 

§m- mm hi § p ep $c % |mpe 

THIELT (West-Flanders Belgium.) 

FLANNELS, CAMELOTS, SERGES, CHEVIOTTS, 
THIBETS, TISSUES for FLAGS, SATINS, etc. 

Unique speciality of 

LAMP AS and DAMASKS 

for lira parses, 
Household and Church furnitfure, 

in medieval Style 

in Wool, Silk and Wool, and pure Silk. 

Tissues for religious dresses and ecclesiastical. 

purposes. 

TICKING AND SAIL CLOTH FOR INLAND AND 
EXPORT PURPOSES. 




— OFFICE AND WORKS — 

PLACE D'HULST. 



Highest awards at various Exhibitions. 
Artistic ofojeeds, Curiosities. 

Desire LAGRAND 

ANTIQUARY. 

Old Furniture, Stuffs, Laces ; Embroideries, China 
and Delft — old objects in tin and copper. 

RUE roOTRE-DAiHIE, i© 9 Bruges. 
a few houses before reaching S. Johns Hospital 
(Memlinc Museum). 



4. Mnrlftrhrii-purfor 



7, rue ^hilipstock, Bruges, 

DEALER IN WOOLLEN, LINEN, AND COTTON TISSUES, 
SILKEN, LINEN, WOOLLEN AND COTTON THREAD, 
f$}| SEWING-THREAD. |(^| 

jVlERCERlES AND j^JBBONS. 
ARTICLES AND SUPPLIES FOR THE SHOEMAKERS-TRADE. 

Inland and foreign manufactures. 
SPECIAL TERMS TO THE TRADE. 



BRUGES. Travellers' requisites 

OBJECTS FOR PRESENTS 

FLEMISH AND J3RUGIAN J^OTTERY 

J. MERVEILLE-GYSELS 

35-37, RUE DES Pikr r es, 35-37, 
Moderate terms BRUGES. 



Pitstr, f tanas, wtuatrnl instruments* 

JULES VAN MARCKE 

26, RUE DES PIERRES, 26, 

— BRUGES. — 
The largest firm of the province. 



Horticultural grounds of 

Antoine VERBEKE 

AVENUE DE STEENBRUGGHE, BRUGES. 

Large speciality of Palmtrees 

and Dracena Laurels, etc. etc 

ALWAYS OPEN TO VISITORS' KIND INSPECTION. 



an kr Sttactnfs 



^ ORCHIDS HOUSES 

59, Quai Saint Pierre, 59, BRUGES. 



Always open to visitors' kliacl iafispeetion. 




aison GEN IS 

70, ]^ue des ;£>ierres, 70 

£S BRUGES. (BeLGIQUE). 



Engravings, Pictures, Frames & Canvass. 
ARTISTIC PHOTOGRAPHS. 



REDLIGH : KNIGHT 

RUE DU VIEUX SAC, 30. 
for E9i$!3*li and American Visitors. 

ARRANGEMENTS FOR FAMILIES. 



A LA PROVIDENCE. 

line des Pierces, Bruges* EE 



Travellers' Requisities. — Objects in Morocco 
and fancy articles for presents. — Station- 
ery. — Photographs and views. — Illustra- 
ted post cards, etc., etc. 



PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIO 

MAX J A COP S ' 

81, rue des Pierres, 

BRUGES (Belgium.) 



PORTRAITS OF ALL SIZES 



Sale of: Views of tlie town and the country. 



Reproductions of all the well known pictures to be 
seen in the town of Bruges and in the most famous 
galleries of Europe. 

$U*t gmbvoiberics ant* @ljutclj ornnnicnts lit) 

*m »S* *I* *f * *£» *S* *S* »»* *S* >.t* *S* *Sa *Ta »Sfc *!* *'* 

mile XBselee=ffiargot 

^ v ^ *s* "fc* *»* v ♦$* *i* »s* n» *% 

65, rue des Pierres, BRUGES (Belgium.) 




Manufacture of Art embroideries renowned for gold 
and silk works; every kind of artistic works underta- 
ken, banners, and flags of confraternities and guilds. 



Reslauration of old Embroideries 

of the XV th century. 



Careful execution, 

moderate charges, 
quotations and designs free. 



BLANKENBERGHE (Belgium) 

©rnnit T^otel be Tenisc et tic TUniuei's 

on the sea SHORE (corner of the Rampe Leopold) 
first class Hotel and Restanration 
fov the owner: FR. VAl\ AGT-NOLLET 

(J^est duration a la carte and at fixed prices 
MAGNIFICENT TERRACE IN VIEW OF THE BATHING SHORE. 

A. SINAEVE-DHONDT, Statuary 

successor to P. PALWELS-DHOR1DT 

— 8, rue des Ramoneurs, 8, GHEN T (Belgium). — 

MANUFACTURE OF CARVED WORKS IN ALL STYLES, 

a speciality for large Church furniture such as altars, pulpits, 
confessionals, etc., etc., in medieval style. 

A large stock of crucifixes, statues of all sizes always to hand. 

'Drawings photographs and estimatts sent free on application. 

ANTIQUITIES OF ALL KINDS 

BOUGHT AND SOLD 

Sculptures, (Xbiua, IDelft, Xaces anfc stlk stuffs. 
Objects iu pewter, brass, olD Clocks anD furniture 

BEULS-LAGRAND 

BRUGES, — 6, rue Porte de Gand, — BRUGES. 

Jos. LEYS, rue des Pierres, j3, 



4* BRUGES 

Antiquities. 

Speciality tti all kinbs of ftue 
■ olb (Objects. — (goto. — 
3apan & drjiuaiuare. — (DIb 
tuoob earrings. — pictures. — 
miniatures, etc. 



(Belgium) # 

$ntiquitiiten. 

Spec/ialitat, iu alien Sorteu 
non feiuen £11 ten KiiusttDerken. 

— irtobelii/— (Solb. — Stlber. 

— Cfyiuefifcbeni nnb 3 a P ail ^ = 
febem poi^elian. — (Semalbeu. 

— ITCiuiatiireu nub so tueiter. 



OPPOSITE THE STATION. 

Comfortable rooms at moderate charges, 

Dinners and luncheons at separate tables. 

RESTAURANT A LA CARTE. — Afternoon tea. 

. Depot of « The Continental Bodega C° » 

LEON POUPAERT 

ANTIQUARY 
BRUGES — Quai du Rosaire, B. 3 — BRUGES 

(near the Eeckhoutte Bridge) 

Store of old flemish jewellery and silk stuffs. 

Firm recommended to Foreigners for its large choice of curiosities 
Laces, China, Delft, gold and silver objects and household furniture 
in all styles. 

ANTIQUITIES OF AIL KINDS 

BOUGHT AND SOLD 

Sculptures, Cbiua, 2>eltt, !3Laces and silk stuffs. 
Objects in pewter, brass, old Clocks and furniture 

EUGENE"LAGR AND 

BRUGES, 2, rue des Freres - Mineurs, BRUGES 

(near the botanical garden.) 

G. LAGASSE, Antiquary 

~ OLD CURIOSITY SHOP *»- 

Old brass, copper, pewter, engravings, silverobjects, etc. 
Old silk ornaments of churches 
OLD FURNITURE A SPECIALITY 
Corner of the Quai du Rosaire the finest view of Bruges 



AU VIEUX DELFT 



In the Old Curiosity 3 n °P- 

, 19, Simon Stevin Place, 19, 

— =====• BRUGES. 

Old Porcelaine, Faience, Silver Works. Furniture. 
Pictures, Engravings (old and new). Laces and Brass. 
The firm sells all the enumerated things on trust. 

BUYS. * EXAMINATION. 



LACES: 

r 

JI- J^oupelyne-CDulier 

4, Rue des Armuriers, 4, — BRUGES, 

near the Bourg and the Grand' Place. 

Strangers are recommended not to leave Bruges, 
without visiting our shop. Visitors wishing to buy will 
find our prices most reasonable. 

Last new fashions — Laces washed en mended. 

Sent to every direction. 

Speciality of Altars, Statues, pictures of the Holy 
Face, Stations of the Cross, Pedestals, 

"V\ ^Cl)nHCt't r Sainter anb becoratoi' of Gljurdjes, 

10, Rue Sud du Sablon, 10, 

(between the Cathedral and the Railway Station), 

— BRUGES. — 




31 



